Barcelona
by Brainlock
Summary: Sequel to Albion. the Gleeson!Doctor and his reluctant Companion arrive in Barcelona and get swept up in the plans of familiar faces and deadly enemies.  Future!Doctor, OC, Jack, special guests galore.
1. Ch1 Barcelona

Doctor Who: ALBION - Barcelona

Chapter 17 - Holding Court

Disclaimer - I don't own nothing or nobody you know/recognize. Doctor Who is intellectual property of the BBC, afaik.

Characters: Doctor, Markham, Xxxxx, OCs

* * *

><p>Will Markham stood back, leaning on the railing surrounding the TARDIS console as the Doctor worked various controls.<p>

"So? Where are we headed now?"

The Time Lord gave him an annoyed grunt. "I need some new clothes."

Markham gave him a shocked look. "I thought you had a whole wardrobe in here?" he waved off to the nether regions of the craft.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "I do. The problem is, when I regenerated-" he paused to glare at the other man before continuing. "-my new body was a larger build than I've been before. I don't have much in there that will fit me comfortably."

"Didn't you pick up a few things back home? Uh, back in Albion?" he corrected.

"A pair of shoes, but I didn't keep anything else."

"Uh-huh," Will replied, totally not believing the man. "So where are we going again?"

The console settled and the Doctor strode toward the door. "We're here."

Will followed him to the door as the Doctor stepped out. "_Where?_"

"Welcome to Barcelona," he boasted as the pair stepped outside.

Upon hearing the destination, Will Markham expected to see the Spanish city. What he saw instead was an intergalactic metropolis. He looked around, noting the strange architecture before realizing that the passersby weren't all human, and if they looked human at first, he immediately realized they didn't appear to look like the humans he was used to back on Earth. Either Earth.

"Oh, shit," he muttered and ran back inside the TARDIS.

The Doctor had been distracted, taking in the sights before he realized his companion was no longer with him. "Will?" he asked, poking his head back in his craft.

There was no immediate sign of the burly man.

"Will? What's wrong?" he called out, strolling back up to the control console.

"Where the _fuck_ are we?" came a voice from the lower level.

The Doctor looked down through the clear floor to see the now ex-Royal Torchwood agent cowering behind the lower column of the console.

He pointed towards the door. "That is _not_ the Barcelona I know!"

"Well, it's the planet Barcelona I know," the Doctor countered. "Come on out and I'll show you around."

"Like Hades I will!"

"Will-"

"I am not going out there, with all those-those-"

"Aliens?"

"Yes! Aliens!"

"You do realize _I_ am an alien, too, right?"

"You're human!" he protested.

"You've been inside my head, Will. You know I'm not from Earth. I'm a Time Lord. I have two hearts, which you _shot me between_, for crying out loud!"

"You _look_ human!"

"Appearances can be deceiving, Will. Now come on out, you big chicken."

"I am not chicken!"

"Right, that's why you're hiding from those big, nasty aliens down there. Aliens who you've never met, but may well be very nice to you, if you give them the chance."

"I'm not going to get probed or dissected, am I?"

"I thought your planet never had any alien contact?" he inquired. "Besides, I thought you and Jackson, not to mention _Jack-_?"

"Blame the media," he laughed nervously. "And that's totally different. I know those guys," he retorted before correcting himself, "-_knew_ them."

"Yes, that's why you and Jack were flirting from the moment you met," the Time Lord reminded him. "Then again, Jack flirts with everyone."

"That slag," Will chuckled as he slowly came out from his hiding place.

"He's from the 51st Century, different standards of conduct and all," he informed his companion before warning him, "But don't get any ideas. Jack is...different than everyone else."

"You mean besides the can't-kill-him-he's-immortal bit?"

The Doctor thought a moment. "Even before that," he replied, throwing an arm around Will's shoulders. "Come on then, there are such wonderful sights here I can show you."

Will gave a nervous and heavy sigh.

"Don't worry," the Time Lord laughed. "I won't let you get hurt. After all, I've only lost...let's see, Adric, Romana, Rose, River-well, only technically on the girls," he corrected himself before adding in a somber tone, "Adric, however..."

Will stopped and stared at him in disbelief. "W-What?"

"Come along, Markham," he prodded, heading back out into the busy square.

Will rolled his eyes and followed the ginger Time Lord, hoping he was joking about those he lost, but a trace of memory from the man told him otherwise. He told himself to ask later just how many companions he'd had over the years.

The pair strolled along, Will shocked at the variety of aliens he saw as the Doctor led him along. They finally found the clothier the man had been looking for and entered. Will looked around in amazement at the variety of suits on display, and just how many accounted for multiple limbs in various positions Will didn't really want to know about. He was so busy ogling the displays he bumped into the Time Lord, who was staring at a mannequin with disgust.

"Sorry. Something wrong?" he inquired.

"If you ever see these mannequins move, run," he informed Will. "Drop whatever you are doing and get as far away from them as possible."

"Why? What's wrong with them?" he asked. "What if they're just regular robota or something?"

"They won't be. They'll be Autons, the soldiers of the Nestene Consciouness," he said. "One of the most devious races to exist. After the Daleks and Cybermen, of course."

Will gave him a blank look of confusion. "Eh?"

The Time Lord sighed, but was interrupted before he could explain.

"May I help you sirs or madams?" a bald, blue-skinned man with gold eyes inquired.

"Ah yes, sorry, just distracted by this Auton," the Time Lord stammered.

The blue man glanced to the mannequin in confusion before returning his attention to the two potential customers.

"I would like a new suit, please," he informed the concierge. "Will? Do you need any new clothes?"

"Not really, but as long as you're buying?" he replied.

"Ah, I see. Matching outfits for the couple or-?"

The pair looked at each other dumbfounded. Will began chuckling. "We're not a couple!" the Doctor stammered. "We're just traveling companions," he explained before adding with an annoyed glance at Markham, "for now."

"My apologies, sir," the concierge bowed. "If you two would like to step this way?" he suggested, motioning them to a back corner where a series of curtained cubicles lined the wall.

Will looked at them in curiosity. "We get private tailors?" he asked. The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"Oh, this is your first time here?" he asked, glancing to the Time Lord for confirmation. "Just simply step into the cubicles, unclothe, and the scanners will take all your measurements. After that, we can discuss how you would like your suits, as far as final cut, materials, and such," he explained, smiling.

Will glanced to the Doctor, who only nodded confirmation. "You're not going to film us and put it on the internet, are ya?" he chuckled.

"Internet? Ah, such a primitive way of communication," he chuckled before informing Will: "Only if sir wishes us to," he grinned as the pair entered their cubicles.

Will stopped and gave the blue man a dirty look. "You better not," he chided.

No sooner had they stepped into the cubicles than Will came running back out. "What is that?" he exclaimed, startling several other patrons milling about the store.

The Doctor stepped out of his room to see the panicked man hiding behind a rack, staring back into the room he had entered. He sighed and motioned for someone to exit.

"Will, calm down. It's just an Ood," he explained as the man with large, slanted eyes and what appeared to be spaghetti noodles for a mouth stepped out of the booth. "They're harmless."

The Ood held up it's communicator. "My apologies if I startled Sir," it said.

"B-but, it's a-!" he waved his hand frantically at the alien.

"Will! What did I just get done telling you?" he sighed before turning to the tailor. "I'm sorry. My friend here, it's his first time off his home planet, and he's not used to seeing so many species."

"Ah, I see. Would sir care for a private booth, then?"

"YES!" he exclaimed, then realized he had shouted. "Yes, please, if I can."

The tailor nodded, then motioned to the Ood to follow him. "Would sir also prefer a private fitting screen?" he inquired of the Time Lord.

The Doctor gave Will an annoyed look. "I don't mind, but my friend is a bit jumpy, so-?"

"We take no offense," the Ood standing by the Time Lord's booth replied.

The Doctor hooked a thumb to the tailor. "Is he paying you a salary?"

The blue man seemed to go a shade darker as the Ood both replied, "We take no compensation for our work. It is our pleasure to serve."

"Yeah, so I hear," he muttered under his breath as he all but shoved Will back into his empty cubicle, muttering, "You get naked for the first cute guy, but forget it when it's an Ood!" and then returned to his own booth.

The next few hours found the men going over different patterns and styles. The tailor's Ood wore holographic emitters, allowing them to display the customers' style choices with relative ease. Of course, Will seemed to prefer sticking to Basic Black. The Time Lord was amused at how easy this now all seemed for him, as he practically took over the entire transaction from the proprietor.

When they had finalized the details, Will pulled the Doctor aside a moment. "I am _starving_. Any place to get something to eat I can recognize around here?"

The Doctor chuckled. "Of course. Follow me," he replied and headed back out into the plaza.

He led Will to an open café and were soon approached by a waiter. Will was slightly amazed to see that she was a cat. The Doctor acted as if nothing was wrong and ordered for the both of them.

No sooner had the waiter left than Will inquired, "How is it I can understand everyone? How can I read signs and menus and everything? Surely, they aren't all in-"

"Through me," the Doctor cut him off. "The TARDIS translates it all through a telepathic link."

"Ah. Explained this to a lot of companions, have you?"

"Just the less intelligent ones," the Time Lord quipped.

Will was quiet after that, but still took in as much as he could see before their food was served.

"Enjoying the trip so far?" the Doctor inquired as they ate.

Will returned his attention to his companion. "I can honestly say I've never seen anything like this place."

"You haven't seen anything yet," he chuckled. "I've been to before your civilization even existed to the end of the Earth, and even the end of the universe. I'd tell you to ask Jack, but I don't know if we'll cross paths anytime soon."

"How long have you known Jack, anyway?"

The Doctor grew quiet for a long moment before answering. "I first met him back when he was mortal," he began, "but I may have even met him before that."

Will looked at him in confusion. "Do I want to know?"

The Doctor laughed. "Jack and I have...an interesting relationship," he began. "Not like you had with him, but I can honestly say that he is one of my oldest friends, even if he doesn't realize how old, yet. Older than Greaves, even."

Will gave him another blank look. "My head is starting to hurt."

"Too much to take in in one day?"

He waved the Time Lord off as he pulled a small bottle from his jacket pocket. "No, just a headache," he began as the Doctor grabbed his arm.

"What is this?" he demanded, his face suddenly furious.

Will gave him a puzzled look. "Aspirin?"

"Where did you get it?"

"Last week, back home in Wales. Why?" He handed the bottle over to the Time Lord for inspection. "Do I have to call you in the morning, too?" he quipped.

The Doctor glanced at the label, grunted, and handed it back. "Don't let me catch you bringing something like that along, ever again," he fumed. "A simple aspirin could be deadly to any number of species here."

Will looked down at his plate. "And what about the food?"

"Why do you think I ordered for you?" he harrumphed.

Will stared at his plate and pushed it back. "Suddenly, I'm not very hungry, anymore."

The Doctor gave him an annoyed look and continued his meal.

"So, where are these, uh, Ood? Where are the from, anyway?" Will finally asked after a long silence.

"The Ood home planet. Why?"

"It doesn't have a name?"

"Not really. The Ood Sphere is the closest thing to a name you'll find."

"And they're all sort of a worker drone or, uh-?"

"Basically. Yes. Why?"

"After what you asked before, I just noticed a few more mingling around, mostly dressed the same, that's all. Just curious."

The Doctor stared at him. "Mostly?"

"There was one, earlier. I thought I saw it watching us?" he shrugged. "Must be my imagination, though."

"What? Where? What did he look like?"

Will surveyed the crowd. "No, I don't see him, now."

"What was he wearing, Will?" he demanded.

"Most of them are wearing that drab grey. This one was wearing black. Why?"

"Basic uniform for Ood is that grey outfit," he explained. "The only other time I've seen an Ood wear anything else was- no, it can't be." He looked around nervously.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Finish your meal. Meet me back at the TARDIS in an hour," he ordered, then rose and left the café.

"Wait! How am I supposed to pay for this?"

"I already took care of it!" the Doctor shouted back over his shoulder as he disappeared into the crowds.

Will sighed in defeat. He thought of giving chase, but not in a city he didn't know and especially not on a planet he had never been to, before. He drummed his hands on the table and looked around. "Now which way did he park?" he asked himself.

"Will there be anything else?" the cat waiter asked, startling him.

Markham thought a moment. "Yeah, where can I find something to read?"

* * *

><p>The Doctor scoured the streets of Barcelona's capitol city for two hours before he headed back to the TARDIS. He was muttering to himself the whole way.<p>

"I mean, if it was him, which I don't know it was, why would he even be here? Will's new to all this, he was probably just mistaken, that's it. I'll ask him when I get back to the-"

The words died on his lips. He looked around.

"It was here. It was right here. Where did it go? Where did he go? I know I parked her right here on this corner."

The TARDIS was no longer where he had left it.

"If Will moved it- no, he couldn't have. I never gave him a key to get back inside. He should be waiting for me, right here, furious as all-"

"_WHERE IN HADES HAVE YOU BEEN?"_

The Doctor spun to see his bearded companion marching straight for him. "Ah. Will. Been waiting long?" he asked, grinning nonchalantly.

"THREE HOURS!" he exclaimed. "I've been waiting for three hours for you to return!"

"You couldn't have. I've only been gone-"

He held up his wristband. "I timed you. Didn't even start until well after you abandoned me."

"Ah. Sorry?"

"And _where_ is the TARDIS? I was beginning to think you left me behind."

The Doctor glanced around, feigning confusion. "I'm not sure this is the same corner I parked-"

"I asked," he fumed. "It is."

"Well then. If that's the case, then we have a problem."

"You don't say?"

* * *

><p><strong>Elsewhere<strong>

"You have it?" came the deep voice.

The Ood bowed and produced his communicator. "Yes. It was no easy task."

"He will come."

"Yes. He always finds his way."

"Summon her."

"As you command." The Ood in the dark suit bowed again and left the chamber.

"Doc...tor," came the deep rumble.

* * *

><p>The balding man pushed the file across his desk. "This is your target. Offer him whatever you think he wants. I need him in my pocket before the end of the week."<p>

The young blonde opened the file and glanced at the photo. "And if he refuses?" she asked, looking up to her employer as his assistant reentered the room.

"Then he's in my way. I trust I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," she purred before rising and sauntering out the door.

She had barely closed the door before he turned to his assistant and groused, "Where did we find her again?"

The Ood touched his communicator, "She came highly recommended from-"

"I know who recommended her!" he shouted. "That was a rhetorical question!" He stood and went to his en suite bar to pour himself a drink. "Damn Ood, don't get comedy, sarcasm, or any other damned expressions!"

The Ood blinked. "We are happy to serve."

The man threw his drink back and slammed the glass down. "Of course you are," he growled then threw the glass across the room, shattering it. "Clean that up!" he barked, then stared after the closed door. "That woman better be worth what we're paying her," he muttered to himself.

The Ood in the dark suit did as he was told.

* * *

><p>Markham and the Doctor sat at the café, staring at each other in anger. "I blame you for this, you know."<p>

"I'm not the one driving," Will replied brusquely, turning the page of the book he was reading.

"Where the hell did you get that, anyway?"

"Bookstore, down the street."

"How did you pay for that, I didn't give you any money?"

Will stopped reading and smirked. "Do you really want to know?" He faked scratching at something at the corner of his mouth.

The Doctor hung his head. "Not if you're going to tell me what I think you're going to tell me, no."

"Then stop asking stupid questions and find the TARDIS."

"The only lead is 'some Ood moved it' and we have no idea which Ood, or where they moved it to."

"You don't have a homing beacon on it?"

"It's not like I forget where I park it, Will!" he exclaimed. "This has only happened a few times, before!"

Markham turned a page. "I would have done it after the first time, if you ask me."

"I didn't. What are you reading anyway?"

"'The Complete Works of Shakespeare'. Ever read it?"

"I helped him write it," he sighed, then glanced back to the bookstore bag, ignoring Will's befuddled glance. "What else did you get?" he reached for the package and withdrew the other book before Will could protest.

"Hey! That's mine!"

The Doctor looked from the book to Markham and back to the book. "Where-? Where did you say this bookstore was again?" His fingers ran across the blue cover, trembling as he fought the urge to open it. Surely, it wasn't?

"It's blank," Will informed him. "It's a blank, blue diary that just happens to look like-"

"_I know what it looks like!" _the Time Lord exclaimed, startling other diners, nearby. He noticed his hands were visibly trembling, now. He forced them to stop. "no. not here," he muttered under his breath.

A female voice interrupted the pair. "Excuse me?"

"Not now, we're busy," Will brushed the woman off.

Then he noticed the Doctor staring up at the intruder with the goofiest smile on the man's face he had ever seen. If given the chance, he would have kissed the man for being so adorable right then and there if this intruder hadn't captivated the Time Lord, first. The blonde curled woman wore a white jacket with a wide leather belt over it with dark pants. He could see a hip pouch on his side, but couldn't make out what she had on the other hip. She looked familiar to him, somehow, as if from a memory. Not one of his, he realized.

"Hello, sweetie," she smirked. "Mind if I join you?"

The Doctor quickly shoved the book into his coat pocket as he rose. "What are you doing here?"

She smiled as the Time Lord motioned her to take the open seat. "I was asked to make you an offer you couldn't refuse."

"You know her?" Will asked.

"We've only just met," she replied, taken off balance yet smiling, then stuck her hand out to shake the Doctor's. "River Song, and you must be-"

"Yes."

River froze and gave him a puzzled look. "I'm sorry?"

It was the Doctor's turn to catch himself. "You don't recognize me?"

"You are Governor Magistrate Abraxas, are you not?" she asked.

The Doctor was taken aback and the two men shared confused looks. "Why would you think that?" Will inquired.

She pulled the photo from her jacket pocket and showed it to the Doctor. It showed a robed man with orange shaggy hair and beard, beginning to tint white, his hair the same color as the Doctor's. He was with another man, his long dark hair braided and beginning to pepper with grey. Both men appeared to be laughing or other outburst. "This is you, is it not?"

He ignored the photo and looked into her eyes. "River, please tell me you know who I am?" he pleaded, pulling the book back out and handing it to her. "Tell me this is yours?"

Will looked at the book in alarm as it passed hands. "I just-?" he muttered as she began to flip the pages in confusion and curiosity, then stopped.

"River, please," the Time Lord begged. He fought the urge to touch her.

He watched her as she stared at the open book. "I-I can't. Is this...this is some sort of trick?" she said as she handed the book back.

Tucked inside was a slip of paper. "_Trust him_" it read. "Psychic paper?" the Doctor questioned, puzzled as she was. It was the first time he had ever read anything contained within the blue tome. Both men jumped as she stood up from the table.

"Who are you?" she asked and drew her gun, startling several nearby.

"River, please. Sit down," he urged.

"I said _who are you_?" she demanded again, fear creeping into her voice, as she edged the weapon closer.

In an instant, the Doctor had slammed the weapon flat to the table with one hand, while the other slid underneath. Will heard a familiar buzzing sound as it did.

"Trust me," he said, echoing what the now blank paper urged her. He looked deep into her eyes again. "River, you don't know me yet, but I know you. Believe me when I say this: you will-"

"Put your hands in the air and do not move!"

Will looked around as the couple held each other's gaze. They were surrounded by shock troopers. "Uh, guys?"

The Doctor turned his head slightly to address the guards, but held River's gaze. "Do you know who I am?" he demanded.

The nearest guard replied. "Sir, please remain where you are, we will-"

"Do nothing!" he shouted back.

Will picked up on what he was doing: playing the part River assumed he was. "Governor, please-"

"You shut up!" he cut Will off before the man could say anything else. "I want a full escort back to my office, immediately!" he demanded in a fury.

The guards stepped back to allow his party to rise, but two of the men took River by the arms.

"You are not to touch her!" he demanded of the pair as he grabbed her gun off the table and handed it to Will. "She will accompany me back to my office. Is that understood?"

The guards complied and led the trio into a transport, which took them six blocks to an ornate office building. The Doctor did what he always did: acted like he owned the place. From the various stares and double takes, he guessed many assumed he really was this Governor Abraxas, only with a shave and haircut, depending on how old that photograph River had was.

When they were escorted into a private office, the Doctor immediately ordered his escorts "Leave us" and promptly locked the doors behind them with his screwdriver.

The trio took in the ornate office, gilded at every corner, from the ivory desk to the windows. A ceiling high statue of twisted metal stood in one corner behind a plush black couch, which Markham promptly seated himself on. He sifted through various pamphlets he assumed passed for magazines in this strange city. More than a couple bore the image of this Abraxas.

"How long do you think you can keep this charade going?" River asked, stepping to the full bar on another wall to examine the Governor's private stock.

The Doctor sat behind the desk and assessed the man's status, sifting through various paper files as well as a holo-display of whatever he had been looking at the last time he had been in.

River grew impatient at being ignored. "I said-"

"I heard you, River," he informed her. "I'm just trying to think how best to convince you we are on the same side."

"Why wouldn't we be?" she challenged.

"First off, you thought I was someone else and tried to bribe me," he reminded her, casting a dirty glance as he scrolled through another screen.

"And second?"

"Someone wants this Abraxas out of the way and sent you to do that." He looked up at her as she leaned on the desk. For a second he enjoyed the view she was giving before she stood up in a huff. "Who sent you?"

She turned her back on him and glared at Markham, trying to be inconspicuous on the couch. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The Time Lord sighed and turned to face the window. Looking over the city, he began. "The bravest thing I've ever done was run away and hide. Run away from any type of responsibility. It was the worst mistake I ever made, but also the best thing that has ever happened to me."

He saw her turn back to face him, her reflection nearly transparent against the city skyline.

"I never stopped running. Until now."

"Why is that?" she asked.

"I don't know," he lied, then admitted, "Fear? Fear that if I stop, I'd miss out on something."

Neither answered, but now he could see them both watching him in rapt attention.

"I came to think some deluded notion that the universe wouldn't survive without me. There were times that was true, but there were also times..." His voice trailed off into a distant memory for a long moment. "Then I realized, I was helping people. Those people helped others. We fought back at evils you couldn't even dream of. Nightmares made real." He paused again. "Did I ever tell you I was there the day the Daleks were created? I had the chance to stop them before their reign of terror could ever exist."

"Why didn't-?" Will began, only to be cut off with a sharp shush from River.

"That was when I realized that they were a necessary evil. Empires and alliances were forged in the fight to stop them. Alliances that would never have existed, otherwise."

He turned back to face the pair. "Will, your world existed because of what they did to Jack. Consider yourself blessed you never had to face them. My own world, Gallifrey, is locked in time, in an eternal duel with them. River, you know about them, about what I'm talking about. You have to trust me, and you will. '_I'd trust that man to the end of the universe and back_.' That's what you told her."

"told who?" she whispered.

"Donna. Sweet, innocent, willful, Donna," he told her in a somber tone. "The few hours you knew each other, and you got along so well. There are days I miss her so, so much. I get so mad at myself for what I had to do to her," he continued, almost to himself. "I'm sorry, Donna."

An awkward silence fell over the room.

The Doctor looked back up at River. "But she was one of so many. So many who helped me through my journey, and I helped them save the universe time and time again." He glanced to Markham. "Will knows what I'm talking about, he gave up everything so that my friends could return to the home they knew."

River looked back to the bearded man, who pressed his fist to his mouth, fighting tears back at the memory of a life now lost to him. She turned back to the Doctor to see him staring at her, once more.

"And you, River Song? You were such a mystery to me for so very, very long. That was part of the fun, wasn't it? You thought you knew me better than I did, myself." He pulled the book out again and ran his fingers across it, almost caressing it. "You were wrong, of course," he smiled. "But still-" He tossed the book back to her. "I want you to write down everything. Every time we meet, I want to hear about what we've done together, and everything yet to come."

"What are you talking about?"

He smiled. "Spoilers."

She looked at him in disbelief.

"The next time we meet after this, River. We're going to have a proper date. You, me, and all the time in the world. I promise you that."

She laughed. "And what makes you think I'll ever go on a date with the likes of you?"

"You've already told me about it."

"I have?"

"The last time you see me, the first time I meet you," he told her. "You told me- warned me, even. You said not to change one thing, '_not one line, don't you dare_.' I'll have all of that to come," he informed her, pointing at the book.

She flipped through the empty book again. "There's nothing in here?"

He rose and stepped around the desk to her. "On that date, River? I want you to tell me everything. Can you promise me that? The good and the bad. Everything." He reached up and caressed her cheek, lifting her chin. "Everything."

"How bad does it get?"

"Spoilers."

She smirked. "Alright then, how good does it get?"

He smiled. "Marry me."

Had they looked his way, they would have seen Will's jaw drop. As it was, he was an intruder to what should have been one of their most private moments.

She laughed and stepped back. "Marry you? I don't even know you!"

He dropped to one knee. "You will, River, you will. I can promise you that."

"Why would I even _want_ to marry you, anyway?" she scoffed.

"If I had my TARDIS, I could round up a whole host of people who know about us, about the way we feel for each other, and they all know how perfect for each other we are."

She began to laugh at the absurdity of this. "Oh, you impossible man!"

"Um, excuse me?" Will spoke up. They ignored him. "GUYS?"

The couple turned to look at him, obviously perturbed.

"Nice proposal but in case you forgot: someone _stole_ the TARDIS. Remember?" he reminded the Time Lord.

Before he could reply, the room was filled with an annoying ringing, as if someone held a bullhorn next to a fire alarm. The men covered their ears as River rolled her eyes, reached for the desk and pressed a button. "Yes? Can I help you?"

A slightly mechanical voice replied. "Is the Doctor present?"

The Time Lord looked at River in confusion. "Hang on, I know that voice! Sigma? Is that Ood Sigma?"

"Yes, Doctor," came the reply. "We have something for you."

"My TARDIS? You have my TARDIS?"

"Yes, we have it."

"Hang on, who's 'we'?"

"We will be waiting for you," Sigma replied, then ended the call.

"Well, that answers one question: who took the TARDIS," Will laughed as River tapped the comm off.

"Yes, but where is he and who is 'we'?" he asked again.

"Oh sweetie," River cooed and pointed at the desk. The holo-screen had changed and there was a map with coordinates glowing next to a flashing marker. "Is that a clue?" she mocked.

"Do you know where that is?" he asked. "I'm not entirely familiar with that area."

"Oh, you're going to need some work, aren't you?" she teased. Will laughed. She plucked a pen from the desk and made the address her first note in the diary. "Coming, sweetie?" she asked, heading towards the door.

Will stifled another laugh as the Doctor gave him a warning, "Don't even start!" He unlocked the door and held it open for his future bride.

River stepped into the hall and froze. "Uh-oh."

The Doctor nearly ran into her as he exited. "Is that?"

She nodded. "Yep."

Coming down the hall were the two men in River's photograph, flanked by a small squad of security. Governor Abraxas looked furious at the sight of the three intruders coming out of his office. The Doctor wondered briefly why he and his companion were dressed in ancient armor, and incredibly dusty armor, at that.

This thought was negated by a larger concern as the group blocked off the only egress. No sooner than Will inquired "Now what do we do?" than River took off and approached the real Governor.

"I'm sorry," River began. "We seem to have had a mix up and-" she didn't get to finish as Abraxas slammed her to the wall, and held her there. He brought a dagger up to her throat, and looked back to the two intruders, fuming.

"River, no!" the Doctor cried out, but held himself in restraint, even as Will tried to push past him to help.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my office?" the burly, bearded ginger demanded.

His companion regarded the other pair with suspicion. "There's something familiar about that one," he noted, pointing to the Doctor.

Abraxas growled, then shoved River back into the security. He approached the Doctor until they were nose to nose, looking each other over with suspicion.

"I can see how River was mistaken," Will noted before he was shoved back against the office door frame, with his own throat at the mercy of a dagger.

The greying haired man looked at him with indignant fury. "You will not speak unless ordered to do so, is that clear?" he said in a calm voice that still growled deadly intent. Will gulped and nodded in response.

The Doctor tried not to flinch at the disruption, holding his own against his bearded mirror image. "You're right. I can almost see it," he agreed.

Abraxas raised his dagger to the Doctor's face. "Who are you?" he demanded again.

Before he could reply, the unmistakable sound of laser fire could be heard coming from down the hall. Abraxas' security force was beginning to fall.

"Inside the office! NOW!" the Doctor ordered. Will stumbled back into the office and pulled his mystery assailant inside before reaching back for the Doctor. The Time Lord was shoved against him by Abraxas as he felt something pierce his back. He saw the Doctor spin and look at him in annoyance before he realized something was wrong. Will fell onto his knees before faceplanting into the floor as he saw the last security guard rush River into the room before Abraxas slammed the door.

Everything went dark after that.

* * *

><p>To be continued...<p>

A/N: obviously, this is (MY TAKE on) River's first encounter with the Doctor. S6 has just begun airing, so anything revealed this season is canon over my story, but that didn't stop me from anything before, now has it? (Doctor as Gleeson over a newly cast Smith in beginning!) LOL

Casting:

River's boss: I was thinking of that plant manager from "Planet of the Ood" when I wrote that scene. Not sure if it's going to be the same guy, yet.

Governor Abraxas: Brendan Gleeson (obviously) as he appears in TROY. Yes, there IS a reason for everything!

Abraxas' companion: Brian Cox in TROY. Just because the best bearded Gleeson pic I could find was either Braveheart or Troy, aside from a few red carpet pics. So disheveled Scot versus armored warrior prince, you decide.

Ood Sigma's boss: SPOILERS! ;)


	2. Ch2  Arena

Doctor Who: ALBION - Barcelona

Chapter 18 - Arena

Disclaimer - I don't own nothing or nobody you know/recognize. Doctor Who is intellectual property of the BBC, afaik.

Characters: Doctor, Markham, River, OCs, The Cavalry

* * *

><p>Governor Magistrate Abraxas raised his dagger to the Doctor's face. "Who are you?" he demanded again.<p>

Before he could reply, the unmistakable sound of laser fire could be heard coming from down the hall. Abraxas' security force was beginning to fall.

"Inside the office! NOW!" the Doctor ordered. Will stumbled back into the governor's office and pulled his mystery assailant inside before reaching back for the Doctor. The Time Lord was shoved against him by Abraxas as he felt something pierce his back. His legs gave out and he fell to the floor as he saw the last security guard rush River into the room before Abraxas slammed the door.

"Will? Will, what happened?" River asked, kneeling over him.

"Oops," the governor's surly comrade snarled. He licked the red from his blade.

River was on her feet, weapon recovered from Will and drawn. "That man did no harm to you."

"River, don't!" the Doctor warned before Abraxas pushed him back onto the office couch.

"I asked who you were," Abraxas growled once more. "Why do you look like me and why are you in my office? Another assassin, perhaps?"

"Far from it," the Doctor answered coolly, while stealing glances to his fallen companion. A trickle of blood was coming from his mouth. His black coat obviously hiding the growing wetness spreading from his back where the other man's blade had penetrated. "Look, there was just a moment of confused identity, that we thought we might have a bit of fun with and meet you," he pleaded. "We were just leaving before we stirred up any trouble and now you've stabbed my friend. We need to help him!"

"I don't like them," the pepper-grey haired man snarled, unfazed by River pointing her gun on him. "I say we kill them and throw what's left to the dogs outside," he sneered.

Abraxas turned and pointed his own blade at his companion. "You would."

"Please, he could be dying," the Doctor pleaded. He saw Will open his eyes, but they were empty, unfocussed.

Abraxas turned back to him, sheathing his blade, and laughed before heading for what the Doctor assumed was a closet. He pressed a panel and the door slid open for him to step inside.

"Please, can you help him?" he begged as the other man laughed at his pleading.

Abraxas faced the others and pressed a control inside the cabinet. A frosted glass partition closed and a golden light came from above. A ring of light descended over Abraxas, his armor and other clothing disappeared. When it reached his feet, it began ascending once more, leaving him clad in what appeared to be black leather pants and coat over a blood red shirt. A medallion of some sort of office dangled from a chain around his neck.

The Doctor had glanced away in modesty as this happened, noting River watching his twin in slight amusement and tossing him a wink. The other man looked bored. As Abraxas stepped back into the room, he asked, "Can I kill them now?"

Abraxas stepped to his friend. "What have I told you about this, Vislor?" he asked. Both men turned to the Doctor and River and smiled. "Enjoy your kills. Play with them a bit before the final mercy." The last word was said with more than a bit of disgust, as if a joke. Both men laughed.

Vislor gave Abraxas a knowing look of eager amusement. "The Arena?"

Abraxas smiled. "The Arena."

"What about my friend?" the Doctor demanded.

Abraxas shrugged and motioned to the surviving guard. "Throw him in the closet."

The helmeted man nodded and rolled Markham's body over before dragging him by the wrists to the closet Abraxas had just left. The Governor pressed his palm to the access panel and the golden light descended on Markham.

"Will that heal him or hurt him?" River inquired as she stepped up beside the Doctor. Her hand lightly brushed his and she found he gripped it tightly in worry. Neither moved otherwise.

Abraxas and Vislor laughed her off, allowing the device to do it's work. When the light had ascended once more, Abraxas glanced to the control panel, where he announced "Seems your friend will need some time to finish healing before he joins you in the Arena," he scoffed. "No matter. He'll remain locked inside there until I release him."

"We can take them to the Arena, now?" Vislor asked eagerly.

"If they survive our assailants outside," Abraxas grinned, then nodded to the guard, who opened the door and motioned them out with his pistol.

The Doctor tentatively stuck his head outside. The hallway was empty, even of the fallen guards. "No one's left," he told the Governor.

"Out with you then," he commanded. "OUT!"

The Time Lord led River and the Governor's party down the hall. "You do know I have no clue where we are going, don't you?"

"Make a wrong turn and I start slicing bits off," Vislor urged, greedily licking a trace of Will's blood off the edge of his knife.

The Doctor glanced to River. "Follow my lead, sweetie," she told him. Separating her from their apparently bloodthirsty assailants eased the Doctor's mind only a fraction. He was just as concerned about Will being left behind at their mercy once they were done with them.

* * *

><p>Will had vague memories of voices over his pain before he finally let the darkness take him. Even then, he dreamt of golden light coursing through his body with a throbbing hum, making him well in body and mind. Throughout, he saw a face. It was familiar, but kept changing, evolving (devolving?), and that same smile on every one. That same twinkle in the eye. He knew it, but couldn't remember who, how, or why.<p>

The hum grew distant and the light faded. Will opened his eyes and saw he was in some sort of frosted glass fronted enclosure. He banged on the window, hoping someone was nearby. The room appeared empty, but he thought he saw a shadow move behind the frosted glass.

"Hello? Anyone?" he shouted. "Let me out! Please?"

The shadow approached and stopped in front of the frosted glass. The glass slid up into the ceiling, revealing one of the tentacle-faced creatures he and the Doctor had encountered earlier at the tailor. Will choked down his surprise (and fear?) at seeing the being, more so when the man(?) held out a silver orb.

"Are you well?" came the mechanical voice of the orb.

"I-I-yes. Yes, thank you," he stammered as the Ood held out a hand to help him rise. That was when he noticed the creature was wearing a darker uniform than his brethren he saw earlier. It also bore a letter from the Greek alphabet.

The Ood turned his head, as if waiting for him to order it to do something.

"Sigma?" he asked tentatively. "Why do you have a 'Sigma' on your uniform?" he pointed to the symbol.

The orb clicked. "That is only how you perceive the symbol, William Markham," it informed him.

"H-How do you know my name?" he stammered.

"I have been sent to fetch you," it explained. "You and the Doctor did not come as we asked. I was sent to see you back to the TARDIS."

Will's fear turned to anger. "You have the TARDIS? Where is it? What did you do with it?" he grabbed the shoulders of the Ood, trying to scare it into revealing it's secrets.

"We took it for safekeeping," he explained. "It would have been taken by other parties had we not."

"We? You keep saying 'we'?" he demanded. "Who is with you?"

The Ood motioned to the door. "He requests your presence. He says it has been too long since you talked."

"He who? What about the Doctor and River?"

The Ood turned back to Will. "River Song has been taken captive, as well?"

"Last I saw, the Doctor and River were with Governor Abraxas and his flunky," he explained as Ood Sigma led him out. "Neither man looked to be that friendly."

Sigma nodded. "We know of Abraxas. That is why we must hurry."

"Where are you taking me? To the TARDIS or the Doctor?"

Sigma nodded. "Yes. We must collect the cavalry."

"Cavalry?" Will echoed, wondering who, exactly, was behind this latest fiasco.

* * *

><p>The Doctor found himself alone in a cell. The bars of the door revealed a ramp leading outside, where he could hear the low roar of a large crowd. Abraxas had his guard bring him down, while he and Vislor escorted River away.<p>

Vislor. That was not exactly a common name. One of his former companions had bore that name, and he was merely used by forces beyond his comprehension as a pawn in a deadly game against the Time Lord, many years ago. The Doctor had placed enough trust in the young man to break from his dark master and find his own way, but was he connected to this man or was it a coincidence? "Never ignore a coincidence," he had once told Amy and River, long ago. No, there had to be a connection, but what was it, he wondered.

The Time Lord's train of thought was disrupted when a large clank rang out and his cell door opened. He reluctantly trudged up the ramp into the daylight. He shielded his eyes from the bright sun and took in his surroundings.

He was in a large coliseum, near full capacity of roaring people. The Governor's box wasn't too hard to find, being lavishly ornate and bearing a larger retinue than the Doctor expected from the small group that had originally accompanied Abraxas into his office. Then again, he probably ordered more guards after that attack.

Abraxas sat in the center, with Vislor to his right and River seated to his left. She seemed to be enjoying the attention Abraxas' servants paid her, as if she were born to the life. The Doctor grimaced. Had she merely been a decoy for a larger trap for him?

"Welcome, Doctor!" Abraxas announced. "Welcome to the Arena. And your _Death!_" he boasted.

The Doctor wasn't impressed.

Vislor had his knife out again, stabbing at the air. The Doctor could only surmise he was pretending to kill him.

"If you can survive the tests before you, then you shall go free," Abraxas informed him. The crowd cheered. Abraxas leaned forward. "Of course, only a select few have run the gauntlet of the Arena and survived." Vislor laughed at this, in way that implied the Doctor was looking at two apparent 'survivors' of this challenge.

"As you wish," the Doctor replied, simply, throwing a glance to River. She only smiled in return, then blew him a kiss. The Doctor smirked at this, but then felt himself falling.

He had been standing on a trap door this whole time, he realized as he hit the ground. He picked himself up and looked around. A wall shot up from below on his left, forcing him to go right. Either the trap door he had been standing on had been part of a series of doors allowing the crowd to watch him or the ground above him had been an illusion. He walked forward into the tunnel, wondering what challenges awaited him.

He didn't have to wait long. Before he had gone twenty feet, a door slid open and a Dalek rolled forward. Upon turning it's head and seeing the Time Lord, it screamed "EXTERMINATE!"

The Doctor reached for his sonic, but it wasn't in the pocket he had left it. He stole a glance up towards Abraxas' dais, and saw River fiddling with a small rod. The end lit up in a blue color and she laughed.

* * *

><p>Ood Sigma led Will Markham into another office building across the city from the one he and his friends had been attacked in. "Who exactly, are we seeing?" he demanded once more.<p>

"I was told he is an old friend to you," Sigma replied.

Will rolled his eyes and waited for the elevator to open. When it finally reached the top floor, Sigma exited and waited for him to follow. Will grudgingly did so, still worried about his friend. Sigma led him down a long hall and the wide doors opened before they reached them.

"Hello, old friend," came a booming yet weary voice.

Will immediately turned and tried to escape the way he had come, but the doors had already sealed. "Let me out!" he demanded, banging on the door.

"Will Markham," the voice sighed. "Do not...be afraid...old friend."

Will reluctantly turned and faced the monstrosity before him. In a large, ancient tank floated a large brown head with various tentacles ending in some sort of pod. "What are you?" he demanded. "I've never met anything like you before."

The sound coming from the tank made Will shiver, but it sounded like...laughing?

"Will Markham...agent of...Torchwood Royal. Personal guardian...to the Ginger King...William," he greeted. "You left Toshiko...and your two sons...to follow us home."

"H-how do you know that?" Will asked, flabbergasted.

"You thought...you killed the Doctor," it continued. "He now wears...the face of...those he bled upon...in Albion."

Will stared at the creature dumbfounded. "What are you talking about?"

"I am the Face of Boe," it intoned. "I am the Doctor's...oldest friend. I was there...that day in Albion."

Will stared at the creature. He looked into it's eyes. They seemed so alien and yet so familiar at the same time. "Who are you?"

"I was once known...as the Face of Boeshane...in my youth...so long ago...as Jack Harkness."

"Jack? No. No way. You can't be." Will denied, backing into the door once more. He had no other desire than to be away from this creature, this _beast_, that claimed to have been Jack, once upon a time.

"The Doctor...is in trouble." Boe informed him. "You must find...help. You must...save him. You must save...her."

"Her? River?" he asked, still forcing himself back into the sealed door. "Why? Why is she so important?"

"The Doctor's future...the future of the universe...rests in her," he said. "You must save them...before she falls."

"Why? Forget that, _how?"_ he demanded.

"With the TARDIS," he replied. Ood Sigma took that as his cue and pressed a switch near another doorway. The doors slid into the wall and revealed the large blue police box.

"The Doctor is the only one who can really fly that thing," Will countered. He was already plotting how to evade the squid-faced Sigma and escape into the TARDIS.

"Come closer, Will Markham," Boe ordered.

"No," Will said and made his first attempt at escape. Sigma merely stood in front of the doors, blocking his way into the TARDIS and possible freedom.

"Come here, Will," Boe repeated. "I will not harm you."

Will turned and faced the giant head creature. It was in a heavy-duty tank, probably in an atmosphere toxic to him and the Ood, he guessed. What harm could he do from in there? Then again, who knows what those pods could do to him, even from behind that glass? He took a tentative step forward.

"Touch your hand...to my tank, Will," Boe urged.

Will was finally near to reach out and touch the side of the tank. "Now what?"

"Open your mind, Will."

This order caught him by surprise. He glanced into the eyes of the creature, failing to notice one of the tentacled pods touch the glass opposite his hand.

Will found his head filled with centuries of information. He knew everything Boe knew. He was Jack. He knew how to operate the TARDIS. He saw the Doctor evolve from a lean warrior to the boisterous ginger he was now. He saw Jack evolve from the handsome man he had bedded (and loved?) into-

"STOP!" he heard someone screaming, before he realized it was his own voice. "STOP! I can't take anymore!" he sobbed. He felt Sigma kneel by his side and tend to him.

"I apologize. It was...too much...for you," Boe said.

"So much. Too much," Will sobbed. He looked up to the giant face and touched the glass once more. "I am sorry, my friend."

"You must...gather."

Will nodded as Sigma helped him to his feet. "Yes, but who?"

"Come, we will show you," Sigma replied as he helped Markham to the police box.

Will stopped him at the door and looked back. "Wait! I-I just want to say-"

A throaty chuckle filled the room. "I know. Now go."

Will nodded to his ancient friend and entered the TARDIS. Sigma waited by the controls. "Who shall we start with?"

Will smiled and went to the keyboard interface and began typing. "Who else?"

Another mechanical voice replied. "Jack Harkness located, coordinates locked."

"Did you just-?" Markham glanced to Sigma, questioningly, but the Ood didn't say anything more. He told himself he must have misheard. He brushed it off and reached for the controls. "And so it begins," Will muttered to himself as he dematerialized the ship.

* * *

><p>The Doctor kept low and moving. The Dalek kept screaming in it's mechanical voice "EX-TER-MI-NATE!" The noise was getting on his nerves more than usual. The fact the creature had not been firing wildly made the Doctor surmise he had been de-armed for the sake of the crowd, or was merely playing with it's prey.<p>

He finally decided he had had enough and charged. He pushed the Dalek into a wall, leaving a not so small dent. He held the creature there and kept his voice low.

"Listen, stay quiet and _listen_!" he urged. "I don't know how long you've been here, but we can help each other escape if you work _with_ me."

"YOU ARE THE DOC-_TORR_!" it exclaimed. "YOU ARE ENEMY OF THE DALEKS!"

"And we are facing a common enemy!" he hissed in reply. "We can work together!"

"EX-TER-MI-NATE!" it screeched again as it's weapon stalk glowed to life.

"Oh, blimey."

* * *

><p>Will wasn't exactly sure how he was piloting the TARDIS. The memories Boe shared along with his own empathy seemed to allow him near perfect control of the craft. He had adjusted the controls before, on instinct (or a vague memory from the Time Lord), but this was different. It was as if there were other hands guiding his. He wasn't sure if that was a bad or good thing.<p>

Reaching for the materialization control without thinking, he realized they had arrived. Flicking on the monitor, he was surprised they were still in space.

"Turn the camera monitor around," he ordered Sigma. "There has to be a reason we arrived in the middle of noth-" He stopped as he spotted a small craft. A hatch opened and he saw a figure fall into the infinite.

"Grab me a rope or something!" he screamed as he worked to extend the atmospheric control beyond the TARDIS door.

Sigma immediately handed him a length which was already tied to the railing near the console. He did a double take at the Ood. The rope had not been there a minute before, but neither had Sigma, having just entered the control room. He didn't argue, but quickly tied the loose end around his waist and jumped out the door.

Will had seen his own world's astronauts spacewalk on monitors before, but their reports paled in comparison to actually entering the void. Especially when one jumped into the dark expanse with only a rope as their only protection. He barely had time to process where he was before he fought the initial urge to vomit and void himself at the same time, focusing instead on the familiar shape ahead.

The man saw him and the blue police box he was attached to and began a brief smile before his frown returned. Still, he allowed Will to grab him and Sigma reel him back in.

No sooner than the pair had entered the TARDIS than Will slapped his one-time lover. "What in Hades' name did you think you were doing, Jack?" he demanded.

Jack lay unmoving, eyes closed, a grim expression on his face.

Will glanced to Sigma, who only blinked, before he returned his attention back to Harkness. "Jack?"

"I'm so tired, Will. Tired of it all," he finally responded.

"You did that _intentionally?_" he asked.

"I've lost too much," he replied. "I've lived too long. Too many people have died for me. It makes a man, a soul, tired."

"You have me, Jack."

Harkness finally turned his head to face his would-be rescuer. "For now. How long will we last? A few years? A few decades at the most," he told his friend. "I'm sorry, I've hurt and been hurt by too many to lose another friend."

Will leaned over the immortal. "What happened, Jack? It's barely been a year according to the TARDIS since I saw you last. Barely a few days for me."

Jack reflected back on the past few months, the so-called "Miracle Day" on Earth. The period when everything alive was exempt from passing on, no matter how severe the injury. He recalled one poor soul who lived on, even though his burnt flesh barely could be called meat. He pushed the image away for now, but he knew it would return to haunt him again, sooner rather than later.

"How do you do it? How do you survive all these centuries like this?" he asked.

Will glanced up to Sigma nervously. "The Doctor is not present at this time," a mechanical voice replied.

Jack sat up. "What?" He looked around the control room in alarm.

"That's why I came for you, Jack. We're rounding up the cavalry."

Jack looked Will in the eye. "There are better people to call first."

"And you know them better than I do," Will countered.

"Point taken," he admitted, then climbed to his feet. "Alright, what's the situation and who do we need to pick up next?"

Will smiled, knowing the current crisis would divert Jack's attention from his malaise, but he had seen this behavior before from Miranda over the years. He wondered how long Jack would last before he tried this again?

* * *

><p>This particular Dalek was a crafty one, the Doctor knew, now. He played the part expected of him while allying itself with it's nemesis -him- for the time being, at least.<p>

The creature had blasted their escape into the next cell, only to find their next opponents: a squad of four Cybermen. The Doctor would have laughed if the quartet hadn't immediately started firing on the pair of intruders.

The Doctor was almost surprised to note that the foursome was actually comprised of four different types of Cybermen, reflecting their different eras of evolution, from his earliest encounter to the more recent, Cybus Industries, incarnation.

Funny how it seemed that the quartet had been bickering amongst themselves before spying him and he became the focus of their attentions. He hoped his new ally wouldn't side with them, now that he was the common enemy amongst the group.

Unfortunately, the Cyber-quartet had no qualms about splitting their forces. The more modern models attacked the Dalek while the older pair focused on the Time Lord.

"Some days you just can't win," he muttered to himself, trying to shield himself with the wall rubble, before he realized the answer was staring him in the face.

"CEASE FIRE!" he exclaimed, hoping his enemies would heed him this once. "Cease fire!" he repeated as he cautiously stuck his head into the open, fully expecting to receive a volley from any one of them.

The quintet actually listened to him for once.

"Listen! We're all in this together!" he reminded them. "This Dalek had no reason to trust me before, but we've made a temporary truce to extricate ourselves-"

"EX-TER-MI-NATE!"

"I SAID _EXTRICATE_!" he repeated himself to the rolling tin can before turning back to the Cybermen. "We've made a temporary alliance to _remove ourselves_ from this so-called game," he clarified. "We work together and we can escape this nonsense. We part ways on a truce until next we meet. Agreed?"

The oldest model of Cyberman started to squeal "Delete!" but the Cybus-man held his arm across his brethren. "The Time Lord speaks truth. We have a common enemy. We can ally for now to overcome our current circumstance."

The other three seemed to discuss this option for a moment. "It is agreed. We will work with the Doctor. For now."

The Time Lord was slightly relieved. He pointed to the wall opposite the one he and the Dalek had entered. "Well then, shall we proceed?"

Above, Abraxas watched the scene unfold. He was not happy. Vislor begged to go below and slay them all. "Hold your blood thirst," he urged as the next wall fell before the sextet below. "The real challenge lies ahead," he smiled.

Beside him, River Song gave him a nervous smile when he looked to her in triumph. Vislor eyed her as if he knew what fate awaited her if the Time Lord failed. She shuddered to think what that could be even as she rubbed her aching head.

* * *

><p>Jack exited the blue box to klaxons. He spotted who he was looking for immediately. The man ordered the alarms silent as Jack stepped forward.<p>

"Well, this is a new look for you, isn't it?" he eyed Jack up and down, admiring the military style he believed the Time Lord to follow, now.

"Brigadier," Jack saluted, snapping his feet together. "It is truly an honor to meet you once more, sir."

Alistair Lethbridge-Stuart gave him a suspicious look, then glanced back to the TARDIS and the burly, bearded man who now stood in the doorway. "Doctor?"

"No, sir, but we are here on his behalf," Jack answered. "Captain Jack Harkness, sir, and my compatriot is Will Markham. We're with Torchwood," he introduced them before realizing he may have made a minor breach of security, hastily adding, "kind of."

"Oh? What bloody hell has the old man stumbled into this time?" he asked, holstering his sidearm.

Jack looked back to Will and smiled. "We need your help as well as a few others'."

* * *

><p>What awaited the Doctor and his temporary allies made the Time Lord question whether he should have just let the lot of them kill him and be done with it. He studied the five-sided and -colored tiled expanse before him for a long moment.<p>

"Why do you not enter the next room?" one of the Cybermen inquired.

"Because, we were meant not to expect a trap," he answered, tossing a small piece of rubble across. A laser immediately fired, blasting the chunk into smaller bits. "I would imagine the other tiles are similarly triggered."

"Then how shall we proceed?" another asked.

"I'm tempted to let you all do what you do best," he began and immediately had to duck out of the way of their fire.

From the inner walls of the next section, their lasers were returned. All but the most modern Cyberman still stood at the end, but the Dalek continued to function, albeit barely.

"Are you done?" the Time Lord asked his still functioning allies. He surveyed the floor pattern again. Several tiles had fallen away or been damaged in the firefight, revealing the hint of an empty chamber beneath. He had no desire to find out how far down it went. "I was going to suggest another tactic, but it seems your impatience may have paid off." He looked back up to the Dalek. "You have hover capabilities?"

In answer, the drone lifted a few inches off the floor.

"I imagine the tiles are sensitive to that, but-" he stopped as he saw the Dalek aim it's gun arm at him. "-_but_ I don't want to risk that," he finished. The gun arm lowered. He hoped the creature's communication array had been damaged as well as it's casing. The Cyberman was much more likely to work with him, it seemed.

He bent and picked up another chunk of rubble, then tossed it onto the tile pattern again. Nothing happened. "Here goes nothing. Just in case, follow me as best you can," he informed the pair before throwing caution (and common sense) to the wind and charging ahead.

* * *

><p>"Where, or should I say <em>when<em> are we now?" the Brigadier asked Jack, completely befuddled by the readouts on the monitors that the other two seemed to understand completely.

"Same time, different place," Jack answered. "We're picking up someone I've never heard of before. Will?" He nodded to the display monitor.

Will shrugged. "No clue. Like I told you, before, it's only been a few days since I saw you last. We really didn't discuss who else he'd been traveling with, except her, and I really didn't get a good explanation, then."

"Sarah Jane?" the Brigadier offered.

"He didn't tell you about our Sarah Jane?" Jack inquired, bewildered.

"You know Sarah Jane?" Alistair cut off Will's reply.

Jack paused, unsure how to answer that. "I will," he finally said and winked. He had missed Will's reaction to the name, but the Brigadier had not.

No sooner had he answered than a knock came at the door. "Doctor? Rory? Amy? Hello?"

Jack opened the door to find a mustachioed man in his mid-forties standing in a yard, wearing 70s style clothing and an apron with a humorous US Seal, "Hail to the Chef", and holding a metal spatula.

"Delicious," Jack smiled, not bothering to hide his usual charm. He didn't see Will roll his eyes behind him.

"You're not the Doctor?" he asked.

"Canton Everett Delaware III, I presume?" Jack asked.

"Oh, not again," he moaned, then turned to another man. "I'm so sorry. Looks like our barbecue will have to wait," he said, pulling the apron off.

"You are Canton, aren't you?" Jack asked again, following him across the yard. Three other men stood agape at the intrusion. Jack smiled and nodded, "Gentlemen."

"Do I want to know why the Doctor didn't come fetch me, this time? Or even River?"

"You know River?" Will asked, following Jack out.

Canton stopped and turned to look at him, then glanced back to the TARDIS. "Who else is in there?"

"We're the rescue team," Will boasted.

"More Silence?"

Will and Jack gave each other puzzled looks.

Canton realized their confusion. "Is it the Silence again?" and mimicked the figure from Edward Munch's painting.

"I'm sorry?" Jack answered.

"Obviously not," he sighed. "Okay, give me ten minutes and I'll be ready to leave. You boys make yourselves at home." When he saw Jack's eyes light up at the other men, he quickly added, "Except for him, he's mine."

Will didn't know whether to laugh or not, and wound up fighting a snort. He glanced back to the TARDIS and wondered which team the Brigadier played for? "Don't even think it," Jack whispered to him.

"I was about to say the same to you," Will shot back with a smirk.

The pair introduced themselves to the trio and made small talk until Canton returned, newly shaved and wearing a suit. He was also checking his weapon one last time.

"That's FBI issue?" Jack inquired.

"Yes," he replied, holstering the gun, then kissing his boyfriend goodbye. "I'll be back before you know it, trust me."

Jack clucked his tongue in appreciation and was immediately elbowed by Will, who jerked his head towards the TARDIS. "Gentlemen," they both said in farewell as they entered.

Once aboard, Will introduced Canton to the Brigadier and Sigma, whom he was only slightly taken aback by. He looked questioningly to Jack and Will. "So, are most of the Doctor's friends-?" He wagged a finger between the three of them.

"Right then," Alistair rubbed his hands together, hopefully changing the subject. "Who's next?" He silently prayed for the Master, a Macra, or even a dinosaur.

It wasn't.

Jack poked his head out of the TARDIS. "Hey Mouse! Where's your better looking half?" he shouted.

Mickey Smith did a double take upon seeing the familiar blue box materialize silently beside him. "Jack?" he hissed. "Get down!"

Jack barely had time to register before he felt the searing heat of the laser. As he hit the ground, he saw the blue armored Sontaran fall as gunfire from another direction tore through him. Then blackness.

Dr. Martha Jones came running up to tend to his rapidly healing wounds and help Mickey drag him back inside. "Where's the Doctor?" she cried out, expecting to see their mutual friend aboard.

"My word!" the Brigadier exclaimed, rushing to help. "Will he be alright?"

"Give him five minutes, he'll be fine," Markham informed him, adding "the big drama queen" under his breath as he dematerialized the ship once more.

* * *

><p>"Romans?" The Doctor gaped as he and his Cyberman ally barely made it through the next hole in the wall when they were confronted by the next challenge. "No, wait. <em>Autons<em>," he corrected himself.

The dozen members of the squad drew their swords in unison. In response, three of them were immediately vaporized as the Dalek rumbled into their section.

"Thanks!" the Doctor shouted as he ducked out of the reach of another. A Dalek, Cybermen, and now Autons. This so-called Arena was specifically designed with him in mind, he realized. Who was this Governor Abraxas, and how did he know the Doctor's enemies so well to gather them like this?

His mind briefly drifted back to the Pandorica, but that was his enemies allying in an attempt to stop him, and even then-no, this was even more personal than that particular threat in the shadows.

It occurred to him: Was Abraxas merely another guise of the Master? No, he would have slipped and let slip some small tease by now. Abraxas had hardly said anything, and his minion Vislor was the bloodthirsty one. There was more going on here than he knew, at the moment.

He hoped this Abraxas wasn't some sort of villainous counterpart to River. He would hate the thought of an enemy who knew him better at his own first encounter, but considering the odds? It had to happen, eventually.

He pushed these thoughts from his mind as he wrested a sword away from one plastic Roman and began to fight his way forward.

Above the fight, River casually leaned over to her captor. "What exactly are you trying to prove, here? Hmm?"

"You'll see," he grinned.

"I want to see blood!" Vislor screamed, leaning over the ledge. "Let me enter the fray! I'll kill him myself!"

Abraxas kicked him in the back of the head. "Patience," he said quietly. "Control yourself."

"You keep him on a tight leash, don't you?" she noted.

Abraxas gave a non-committal grunt in reply.

* * *

><p>"Hello, stranger," Jack smiled at their latest recruit.<p>

"Jack?" she questioned, surprised at seeing him exit the old blue box. "Where's the Doctor?"

He held his hand out to her. "He needs us," he replied.

"Give me two minutes," she said and hurried back in the house before he could say anything.

When she entered the TARDIS, she was surprised at the small crowd waiting on her. Only one seemed annoyed by her presence, but another held his arms out to her in greeting.

"Brigadier!" she hugged him, immediately knowing to keep her silence since he looked much younger than the last time they had met. "You're still with UNIT?"

"Indeed I am," he replied. "Let me get a look at you! You're looking young as ever, my dear."

"Oh, go on!" she laughed, hugging him. She then turned to Jack. "Is this everyone? Where are we going?"

Jack glanced to Will. "Will hasn't told me, yet," he replied. "I'm sorry, where are my manners? This is Will Markham, present accomplice to our esteemed Doctor. Will, this is-"

Will cut him off. "I know who she is, Jack," he growled and began adjusting the controls.

Jack and the newest member of their troupe exchanged confused looks. "Will, is there a problem?" he asked.

Markham glared at her. "Yes. That woman ruined my life."

"Excuse me?" she replied. "We've never met before, have we?"

Will made a grab for Jack's pistol and pointed it at her. "You were the one who gave me my final orders," he informed her. "You're the one who made me destroy my family and my world, Sarah Jane Smith."

* * *

><p>TO BE CONTINUED...<p> 


	3. Ch3 Gemini

Doctor Who: ALBION - Barcelona

Chapter 19 - Gemini

Disclaimer - I don't own nothing or nobody you know/recognize. Doctor Who is intellectual property of the BBC, afaik.

Characters: Gleeson!Doctor, Markham, River, Jack, SJS, Brig, etc, OCs

* * *

><p>Will Markham didn't hear the shouts around him. His focus was solely on the woman who stood before him, defiant and scared. He scarcely acknowledged the man in military dress who placed himself between them or Jack's hand over his, urging him to put the gun down.<p>

"Will, please," the immortal urged, "this isn't your Sarah Jane. You don't even know her. She's a good friend of the Doctor. And mine, as well. She could never harm anyone."

Will spared a quick side glance to his friend. "She cost me everything, Jack. Everything." The heartbreak in his voice was not lost on any of them, least of all Sarah Jane.

"I'm sorry," she offered, pushing the Brigadier aside. "This other Sarah Jane you knew? Did she have a good reason for what she did? You can tell me."

"She was a conniving bitch, is what she was," Will told her. His hand began to shake in anger, but he forced it steady as she took a step toward him.

"Please," she begged. "Tell me what she did? Maybe I can help you?"

Will seethed with rage at the thought of what he had lost, but forced himself to answer her. "My _wife_. My _sons_. My family and friends. My _life_. My _world_."

Sarah Jane nodded in an attempt to understand as he told her, but the last caused her to hesitate and look to Jack for an answer.

"Will's from a parallel Earth, called _Albion_," he informed the others. "In an attempt to set things right and allow us to return to our world, he had to give up everything and everyone he cared about."

Sarah Jane gasped in shock. She reached out to Will. "You loved your family very much?" Her hand eased past his and the gun pointed at her. She forced herself to keep eye contact with him.

"Yes," he finally admitted after a long silence. He dropped the gun to his side, allowing Jack to quickly take it. His head dropped to his chest in shame, but Sarah Jane lifted his chin. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"I'm sorry you had to sacrifice everything, but it wasn't me who made you do it," she told him.

"I know," he replied and quickly grabbed her, pulling her into a hug. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I scared you."

"That's-that's quite alright," she consoled him, struggling against his grip to breathe.

Jack grabbed his shoulder. "Will? Why don't we have a quick lie down? Take a breather and collect ourselves?" he suggested, pulling Sarah Jane free. Will gave a half-hearted nod and allowed Jack to lead him out of the control room.

The Brigadier sidled back up to the intrepid reporter. "It seems you still have that calming touch, Ms Smith," he quipped. "It still is Ms. Smith, isn't it?"

"Oh, Alistair," she smiled. "After all I've been through, you don't think just anyone will do after all that time adventuring with the Doctor, do you?"

"I suppose not," he smiled. "Some of us do move on from our school-aged crushes, though."

"Oh, Alistair!" she scolded him, laughing and slapping his shoulder.

Above, Mickey and Martha began chatting to each other, taking in the scene. Off to the side, Canton leaned over to Sigma. "Does this nonsense happen a lot?"

The Ood turned his head and blinked. His communicator clicked on with a soft, feminine voice. "All the time."

Canton gave a nervous chuckle in reply and quickly headed over to introduce himself to the others. "Canton Delaware, FBI," he announced, giving a quick salute to the Brigadier.

"Is that where you're from?" the General asked.

"No sir, but I've been getting that my whole life," he admitted with a forced chuckle.

"Sorry to hear that, chap," he replied before introducing himself. "Brigadier General Alistair Lethbridge-Stuart, UNIT. This lovely lady is Sarah Jane Smith, freelance reporter and busybody."

Sarah Jane quickly elbowed him in the ribs. "Don't mind him, some of us have a life outside the military," she teased back. "How do you know the Doctor, Canton?" she asked.

"I helped him trick and defeat the Silence."

"Oh, I see," she replied, unfazed by the unfair name. "And what did he look like when you knew him?"

This took him aback. "Pardon me?"

"She's asking what his appearance was when you first met him? And last saw him? Did it change, any?" the Brigadier clarified.

The look on his face told them he had no idea about the Time Lord's regenerations. "Um, young? I'd say mid-twenties? Large forehead, hair was a bit long, and he briefly had a beard while we had him in custody." He bit his tongue as to whether to say where he was held, Area 51. He knew it was still a top secret location in his time, but he wasn't sure if it would have been declassified in the time period(s?) these two came from.

"Custody?" the pair echoed.

Canton held up his hands. "Don't worry, it was all part of his plan to trick the Silence," he admitted.

The Brigadier gave Sarah Jane an inquisitive look. "Oh. Well, it almost sounds like the last time I saw him, except for the large forehead, I guess? I'd really have to ask Jack."

"Ask me what, beautiful?" Jack quipped coming back into the room. "I told Will to stay in his room until he can be a bit more respectful to guests, especially you, milady," he informed them and kissed her hand as he rejoined them. He didn't miss the reproachful look the general gave him at this.

"Well, we were wondering if he's regenerated again? What does he look like now?" she inquired.

Jack turned and called up to the married couple. "You two! Come on down! Apparently, I need to get everyone caught up?"

"So he has changed his face again?" Mickey asked as they came down the stairs.

"You've seen him change, too?" Sarah Jane asked.

"Change what?" Martha replied. "He barely changed clothes when I was with him."

Mickey exchanged an amused look with Sarah Jane, Jack, and the Brigadier. "I didn't see it happen, no, but Rose brought him home to us right after it happened."

"That's when he lost his hand dueling the Sycorax, right?" Jack asked, receiving incredulous looks as he reached over and pulled the hanging monitor closer. "I wonder if I can get the old girl to pull up a visual record of his various looks?" he asked more of himself than anyone else.

In response, the monitor chirped to life and gave them a quick review of his appearances. Sarah Jane and the Brigadier chuckled as they saw his earlier incarnations, which were lost to the rest. Mickey laughed when he saw 'his' first Doctor, lean and arrogant, and elbowed Jack as he pointed to the screen, "that's our boy!" Martha and Canton were beginning to feel left out until the next few faces showed up, before his likeness became a red-headed stranger to all but Jack.

"That is what he looks like, now," Jack announced, seeing as no other faces seemed to be forthcoming.

"You're kidding me, right?" Canton asked. "How can all those men be the same person? Surely he can't-?"

"The Doctor is a Time Lord," Jack began to explain. "Whenever he's critically injured, he doesn't die, but becomes...reborn? Almost a different person, you could say. The memories are still there, but the personality and outward appearance change."

"Right!" Sarah Jane acknowledged. "I've seen several of those faces, myself. Even the TARDIS has changed appearance since last I saw her, haven't you, old girl?" she asked the room, which Canton was the only one lost as to why.

"You mean he's immortal?" Canton asked, nervously looking around at how the interior had changed from his prior experience, now that he thought about it. There had only been one level above before, but now there were two, and various hallways leading off that he hadn't noticed before. "Okay, Rory had tried to explain it to me before, as this ship, or whatever you want to call it, is like a large building shoved inside a small box, like seeing a skyscraper on television?"

The others exchanged shrugs if acknowledgement. "Close enough," Mickey agreed. "Who's Rory?" he then asked, glancing to Jack, who only shrugged.

Canton was about to say, but then thought better of it. "I guess none of you know River, Amy and Rory, then?" The group shook their heads in consensus. "Well then, to borrow a phrase from River, 'Spoilers'."

"Right then," Martha spoke up. "Who's next on our list to pick up?"

Jack turned back to the controls. "It looks like...oh." He glanced to Sarah Jane for a moment. "I hope Will behaves himself with this one, as well."

"More trouble?" the Brigadier asked.

"Let's just say things were left unfinished between Will and this next person, shall we?" he grimaced, remembering the last time he saw the man, he had to see to the final moments of another friend, or rather, _his_ double, too.

The Brigadier turned to Sarah Jane. "More trouble," they agreed.

A minute later, Jack rematerialized the TARDIS and headed for the door. "Maybe I should handle this one, as I know who we're looking for?" he suggested as he headed out.

Jack found himself in a dank alley. He got the impression it was just after nightfall. Proceeding to the street, he saw gas lamps lining the walk. Not totally unexpected, considering the date. He looked around to gain his bearings, when he heard a familiar voice shout, "YOU!"

Jack turned toward the voice and saw the man he was looking for accompanied by a young boy. Jack guessed he was early forties, the boy around ten or eleven. "You recognize me?" he asked.

"Jack Harkness, isn't it?" the man replied, as his face dropped. "Oh, don't tell me: he needs my help again, is that it? 'One last adventure' and all?"

"How do you know me?" Jack asked again.

"Sir, I know everything the Doctor knows," he said, then dropped to one knee and told his son, "Frederic, I need you to go home and tell Rosita not to wait up for me. The Doctor has come back and needs my assistance once again."

The boy nodded and ran off.

"Jackson, how do you know my name?" Jack repeated.

Jackson Lake proceeded into the alley where he had seen Jack emerge from. "He never told you? That's just like the man."

"And you're not curious as to how I know yours?" Jack asked as he almost ran into Lake.

He had stopped and stared at the TARDIS in awe. "She still looks the same, doesn't the old girl?" he asked as he stepped to the door, and noticed the St John's symbol. "That, however, is new." His hand stopped as he began to push the door open to enter. "Why does he have need of me? Why now?"

"He's in trouble. We've been sent to gather a rescue team."

"Is that so?" he asked, his hesitation turning to what Jack could almost describe as glee. "Onward and upward!" he declared and pushed open the door. He took in his surroundings again. "She has changed, hasn't she?"

"You just missed that conversation," Canton informed him.

"I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met?" Jackson held his hand out to greet the man, even as he glanced around to the others, a smile breaking out on his face. "Brigadier! Sarah Jane! Martha and Mickey! Ood Sigma! How wonderful to see all of you, again! Uh, for the first time, I guess?" he laughed.

Lake was met by a host of confused stares.

Jack sighed. "Everyone get comfortable so Jackson can share his story, I'm going to see where we're going next."

No sooner had Jackson finished catching everyone up as to his adventure with the Doctor than the other member of the makeshift crew reappeared.

"Jack? Is Sarah Jane still in here? I was going to-" he stopped as he saw who had joined them.

"Oh, hello!" Lake greeted him. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure who you are. I'm-"

Will approached him cautiously. "Jackson? Can it really be you?"

"Will! It's not really him!" Jack warned him, but was ignored.

Lake was taken aback, having the tables turned on him, this time. "Er, yes? Do you know me?"

"In more ways than one," Will replied and pulled the man by his lapels close for a kiss.

Lake was caught off guard by the attack as jaws dropped around the control room. Will finally broke the kiss after Jackson had repeatedly hit him about the shoulders. "Unhand me, sir!" he exclaimed, pushing Will back.

"Jackson? What's wrong? It's me, it's Will," he pleaded.

Jack grabbed Will by the shoulders, hanging tight when he tried to shake free. "Will, stop. He's not the Jackson you remember."

"No, it has to be," he demanded and reached for the newcomer again. "Jackson, please! Don't tell me you don't remember me? What about Charles, Miranda, and Torchwood?"

"I am sorry, sir, but neither do I know you nor why you act in this-this _manner_ towards me!" he replied in a huff, clearly shaken.

Will turned to Jack. "What's wrong? Why doesn't he remember me? Was it Greaves? Is this his final revenge?"

Jack spoke in a soothing voice to his friend. "No, Will. Like we explained with Sarah Jane, this is not the Jackson Lake you knew. He's not the man you-that you knew." He hesitated on his choice of words, trying not to upset either his friend or the others.

"no," he whimpered, clutching tight to Jack. "no, no, no, NO!" he began sobbing. "What's wrong with me? I-I don't know anyone anymore, Jack," he cried.

Jack hugged his friend tight, worried the man's losses and emotional state could affect their mission. Martha helped him escort Will back to his quarters and gave him a sedative.

"Tosh was your best friend, Martha," he mumbled as he began to drift to sleep. "How could I abandon her and our boys like that? What kind of heartless monster does that make me?"

Martha could only look to Jack in confusion. She had known Toshiko Sato from meeting her at the Torchwood Hub, but Will acted like he knew them all and yet as far as she knew, she had just met him a few hours earlier. After he had passed out, Jack led her back to the control room and explained where he had come from. It didn't make understanding Will Markham's situation any easier.

* * *

><p>The Doctor surveyed the battlefield. The Cybus model Cyberman and this Dalek had managed to defeat the squad of Roman Autons and they stood to either side of him, awaiting their next contest. Two of his most persistent enemies, now allied with him for this gauntlet. The corridor they had been fighting down had given way to a ramp up to the main battlefield. The trio stood near the center, slightly toward the place of honor held by Abraxas' retinue.<p>

"Well?" he challenged his bearded doppelganger on the dais. "What more do I have to prove to you?" he demanded, holding his battle-won gladius toward Abraxas defiantly.

"Who said this was proving anything to _me_?" Abraxas turned to his personal guard and laughed. The guard showed no reaction.

Beside him, River rubbed her head again. The Doctor had seen her do this before. He could only silently wonder if she was ill or if there was another reason. He saw Abraxas toss a concerned glance toward her as well.

"Let me go down there!" Abraxas' ally Vislor demanded. "I'll prove he isn't worthy of my blade!"

"Settle yourself, my friend," Abraxas warned him. "Your blade shall not drink this man's blood," he decided, before muttering to himself, "Not yet, if I remember this right."

The Doctor was close enough that he caught his wording. "Remember this? Why would you say that?" he asked. "Who are you to me? Why are you doing this?"

Abraxas chuckled to himself. "Spoilers."

Before the Doctor could react to that word, Abraxas flicked a switch on his throne and another door slid open to either side of the arena. Behind one door stood a squad of ten Sontarans, behind the opposite door stood a squad of armed Clerics.

The Doctor glanced to either side and grimaced. He took another step toward Abraxas. "Whatever your argument with me is, let it lie between the two of us!" he exclaimed, then dared, "Unless you're too afraid to face me, man to man?"

Abraxas held up his hand and the two squads stopped their approach of the trio. "You have no idea, do you?" he asked, leaning forward. "You gallivant across space and time, planet to planet, galaxy to galaxy, and from the birth of the universe to the end of time," he accused. "Do you not think you would have enemies? Do you not think there are those who would assemble to stop you?"

"Many have tried," the Doctor countered. "None have proven my better."

"How very arrogant of you, Doctor." He flipped another switch and two more doors opened to either side of the dais. Behind one sat a familiar blue Police Box, behind the other a large cube with ornate circular design on every side. The Doctor's jaw dropped in surprise.

"Yes, I have both the TARDIS and the Pandorica in my possession. One of these shall be yours before the day is done. Provided you survive."

At this, Vislor jumped down into the arena, rolling on landing and immediately jumping up and facing the Time Lord. "I shall have your head!" he screamed and began slashing away at the Doctor.

The Time Lord blocked and parried as best he could, but Vislor's attack was driving him back. His allies parted to let the combatants past as the two enemy squads drew closer.

Abraxas had jumped to his feet. "Vislor! NO!" he shouted to no avail. He turned and flicked another switch. A door directly opposite him and behind the Doctor slid open to reveal another squad of Roman Autons. "Separate them!" he ordered.

Before either realized it, they were swarmed by the Romans. Vislor thrashed as the plastic warriors attempted to carry him back to the dais. The Doctor couldn't even make out what the man was saying as he screamed obscenities at them.

Before they realized it, Vislor began tossing the Autons away from him and charged at the Time Lord once more. The Doctor couldn't help but notice he was almost galloping on all fours and his arms and legs seemed to stretch with every step. Even his face began contorting and growing hairier.

"No! It can't be!" he shouted and ran for cover behind the remaining Romans. The feral being pushed them aside and approached the Doctor, jaws dripping and a throaty growl emanating from his grey-black furred barrel chest.

"_VISLOR!"_ Abraxas shouted. The werewolf turned to face his master. "Don't you dare touch him!" he demanded.

The creature turned and crouched on all fours, then leaned forward and let loose an earsplitting howl that chilled those human enough in the audience to begin running for cover. The stands were consumed by chaos in the escape.

From the dais, Abraxas hit another switch and all the doors save those revealing the TARDIS and Pandorica slammed shut, effectively trapping the arena combatants in with the wild beast Vislor had become. He then turned and grabbed at River. "Give me the Sonic!" he demanded before jumping into the battle. "Doctor!" he shouted as he adjusted a control and threw the rod to it's rightful owner.

The Cyberman and Dalek saw what was happening and turned their armaments on the Time Lord. "Stop, or be eliminated," the silver machine warned.

The Dalek was not so eloquent, screaming "EXTERMINATE!"

Vislor seemed to understand that the pair were now willing to fight and jumped the Cyberman, ripping his blaster arm off before turning his attention to the Dalek.

"NO!" Abraxas warned, then turned to the Doctor. "Fire your Sonic at him! Now!" he ordered and did the same with his own Sonic, a silver and black device. The device appeared to the Time lord to be a conglomeration of designs he had previously used, including one he kept hidden for a future date. As they used the devices to confuse (and perhaps calm?) the beast, he noticed Abraxas adjusting controls, causing the lit end to change colors with each adjustment. Where he got the device, the Doctor decided would have to wait for another time. The werewolf Vislor had become was the more immediate concern.

Vislor was caught between the two and began howling in pain. He lashed out, knocking the Dalek into the Sontarans, who began firing at the beast. In response, the Clerics took up a defensive position and began a crossfire at the beast in turn.

"NO! STOP!" Abraxas screamed, only to have his warning fall on deaf ears. He watched in horror as the creature he knew and befriended fell, having been hit multiple times by either side.

The fight was over almost as soon as it began.

"Hold your fire!" the Doctor exclaimed. The others seemed to defer to him and ceased their assault. He approached the creature that Abraxas now cradled, sobbing.

"It wasn't his fault," he cried. He looked up to the Doctor. "This is on you. All of this," he accused. "Damn you, Doctor. Damn you for all eternity."

"Who are you?" the Time Lord inquired. "Why this charade?" He studied his doppleganger's face again. It appeared older than his own. Surely this wasn't some prank by a future version of himself? A test of mettle to ready him for a coming fight?

"Haven't you figured that out by now? Mark my words, Doctor. Those answers will find you soon, enough," he replied.

Before the Doctor could respond, Abraxas lifted his sleeve, revealing a Vortex Manipulator, and touched the device, teleporting the pair away. The Doctor could only guess they went back to his office. He had more questions than ever for this mystery man, but that would have to wait.

He glanced up to River, who stood watching him. Beside her, Abraxas' guard finally lifted his visor. He was almost expecting the face beneath. "Jack? Why the hell didn't you help me?" he demanded.

"I was told to protect River at all costs," Harkness answered before lifting his arm and speaking into his own vortex manipulator. "All clear, you can come out, now."

He smiled down at the Doctor, who watched as the TARDIS opened and a host of friends poured out. He quickly turned and saw that the Sontarans, Clerics, as well as the Cyberman and Dalek all stood still.

"They were Autons. All of them," Jack explained. "This whole Arena is loaded with them. It's a combat training program." He reached down and touched a control panel. All the combatants turned and began marching back into the now open cells they had come from.

"This is amazing," Canton remarked, glancing around as he approached the Doctor. "Jack said this is what you look like now, Doctor?" he asked.

The Time Lord glared at the immortal. "You told them about my regenerations?"

"That was my fault," Sarah Jane admitted as she came up to him, looking him up and down. "Well, you certainly filled out, haven't you?" Canton grunted his approval beside her. "Shush you," she teased before turning back to her old friend. "You're finally ginger, aren't you?" she chuckled, running a hand through his hair.

"Hello, Sarah Jane," he grinned and hugged her tight.

"I hope you have enough hugs to go around," Martha teased him as she and Mickey approached.

"I'll pass on a hug, thank you," the Brigadier noted. "It's been a long time, hasn't it, Old Man?" he saluted.

The Doctor returned the salute. "You lot shouldn't even be here," he replied, throwing a questioning look up to Jack, who was making his way down to the Arena with River. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked her.

"I'm well enough," she lied.

Jack and the Doctor shared a look that neither believed her. "Where's Will?" he finally asked.

"We made him lie down," Jack informed him. "He was getting confused by a couple faces he was familiar with," he nodded toward Sarah Jane, then looked around, realizing another was missing."Who else is here?" the Time Lord inquired. Jack glanced to River. "Amy and Rory?"

"No, but Canton seems to be the only one here who knows those names?" he replied. "I was thinking of someone we just left behind," he suggested.

The Doctor realized who he was talking about. "Oh, blimey! Who made the list for all these people, anyway?" he demanded as he headed for the TARDIS.

Concerned looks shot between the small crowd. "We thought it was you?" Jack replied.

* * *

><p>Jackson Lake stood at the end of the sleeping man's bed, studying him. He had never seen him before, but he had insisted they were intimates in more ways than one. He had understood that the Doctor's life wove in and out of history and it was perfectly plausible that this was a man who could already know Jackson Lake's own fate before they ever met, but Jackson had never had any affection for men. He had overheard Sarah Jane commenting that perhaps this man had collapsed because he had been forced to abandon his wife and children before they had picked Lake up. If that was true, why did he have no shame in kissing a man in a room full of people, most of them virtual strangers to both? His reverie was interrupted by someone entering the room. He glanced over to see a stranger with red hair beckon him into the hall.<p>

"He's sleeping," Jackson fumbled as he closed the door behind him. "I just wanted to-"

"Jackson, please stay away from him, for now?"

"Do I-Do I know you, sir?" Lake inquired, studying the man's face, strange and yet familiar. "It's you, isn't it?"

"Of course, it's me," came the indignant reply.

Lake chuckled. "Do I want to know how this one happened?"

The Doctor stared at the door, or rather, at the man on the other side of that door a long moment before answering. "Long story, now come on." He spun on his heel and marched back towards the control room.

As they entered the main room, Lake saw that everyone had returned plus one. She sat on the divan and did not look well. He saw Martha return from a side kitchen and hand the blonde woman a drink as the Doctor addressed the crowd.

"I am sorry to have troubled all of you to come all this way for nothing," he began. "I did not send anyone to collect you, nor do I know why you, specifically, were chosen and others were not."

"It was Will and Sigma who were gathering everyone," Jack offered.

"Sigma? Ood Sigma?" He glanced around, looking for the errant Ood. "Where is he?"

"The squid-faced guy?" Canton asked. "I saw him outside?"

"Did anyone see him come back in?" the Time Lord asked, only getting head shakes in return. His gaze lingered for a moment on River and Martha. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?" he asked again.

"I'll be fine in a few," she lied. "These headaches just come and go."

Martha gave him a concerned look. He pulled out his Sonic and scanned her. He didn't seem to like the results.

"Here, try these," Will said as he re-entered the room, tossing Martha his bottle of aspirin.

"What did I tell you about that?" the Doctor scolded him as Martha examined the bottle.

"I told you, I bought those at Asda last week," he retorted. "She's human, right?"

Martha gave him an inquiring glance before proceeding. She knew the Doctor well enough not to take appearances at face value. The Time Lord gave a long pause. "Yeah, River's human." He sounded disappointed.

"I tried to tell you, earlier," she retorted, pushing Martha away. "My name is not River Song." She started to stand, but immediately collapsed into the Doctor and Martha.

The silence in the room was palpable as they laid her back down on the divan. "What's wrong?" Martha asked her, but she was no longer coherent enough to answer. She looked to the Doctor for answers. "You scanned her, what did your Sonic say?"

He gave her a grim look. "It's a blood clot on her brain. She never mentioned it before."

"Could it be possible she doesn't remember?" she offered. "Maybe it affected her memory?"

The Doctor stood. "We never meet in the right order!" he exclaimed in frustration. "For me, this is ancient history, for her, we just met! Only now it's not! She never told me this happened!"

Sarah Jane approached and touched him on the shoulder in comfort. "Calm down, think this out," she soothed. "Is there any place you can take her?"

"We're in the TARDIS. Any time and any place, it's all just a moment away."

"Where can we take her for help, then?"

"I know a place," Will answered.

The Doctor turned on him. "What? Where?"

"The Governor's office," he replied, motioning Jack closer. "I got stabbed in the back, remember?"

The Doctor looked at him in confusion a moment before he understood and glanced to Jack. "That closet. Nanogenes."

Will knelt down by River, pulling Jack close to him and began adjusting his vortex manipulator. "Follow us if you can," he urged before grabbing River and the trio vanished in a flash of light.

Will, Jack, and River reappeared in Abraxas' office. They were not surprised to see the man standing there, waiting on them. A golden glow came from the closet.

"It took you long enough," he groused without taking his eyes from the glowing closet door.

Jack went for his sidearm. It was now Markham's turn to hold him at bay. "Can you help her?" Will asked.

"You'll have to wait a few minutes," he answered in a weary voice, motioning to the closet door. "Is he following you?"

"He should be along in a few, if he knows where to find us," Will answered.

"What is going on here?" Jack asked.

"You really have no idea who I am?" Abraxas chuckled.

"I've only just realized. I don't think the others know yet," Will replied. "I don't think they should know, am I right?"

"It has been a long time since I've seen you like this," Abraxas smiled. "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you before, and, well-" he motioned toward the glowing door. "He's always had a bit of a temper."

"I won't tell him, not yet," Will confided.

"Will someone please tell me what you two are talking about?" Jack demanded.

"You're looking mighty young, yourself, Jack," Abraxas teased. "It's good to see you again, looking like this."

Jack was confused. "So you know me in the future? In my future?"

Abraxas smiled. "Spoilers." He then noticed the closet door had grown dark. "Let me get him out of your way, then you can do what needs be done."

He turned toward the ornate brass sculpture in the corner of the office and pointed his Sonic at it. The sculpture shimmered and dissolved into a worn and rusted yellow cargo lift. What should have been support line pulleys were turned and held the lift off the floor, as if modified for landing gear. The door opened and someone in an orange environmental suit with a mirrored face shield stepped out and looked at them.

"Don't mind them, help me with Vislor," Abraxas ordered.

The suited person helped carry the once-more human Vislor back into the lift, much to Jack's astonishment.

"I could swear that looked like a Dalek Genesis Ark," Jack whispered to Markham. Will gave him a confused look. "Nevermind," he sighed.

Abraxas stepped back out as Will and Jack lifted River to put her into the healing light of the nanogene closet. As Jack bent in to make her comfortable, Abraxas pulled Will aside. "He can't remember any of this, you know," he urged Markham.

Will hesitated, giving the bearded ginger a nervous look. Something in the way the man looked at him told him to trust him, but he could no longer trust his instincts. He wasn't sure what he would do until he caught Jack as he was standing up. "I'm sorry, Jack," he apologized as he grabbed his friend's head. "He's right, you can't remember this."

Jack shuddered and went limp. Will barely caught him, with an assist from Abraxas. "Are you sure you know this is the right thing to do?"

"We'll have to put them both in the booth for this to work."

Will still had his doubts as they arranged the pair in the closet. "And this heals her?"

"It's exactly what you told me happened, all those years ago, Maester," the bearded ginger said before he pressed his Sonic to Will's head. "You didn't hear that, and...I am so sorry," he said as his device knocked the man out.

Letting Will fall to the floor, Abraxas slammed the door on the pair inside the closet and began working the controls. The golden glow hummed to life once more. Abraxas turned and lifted Markham onto the couch he had unobtrusively sat on the first time he had been in the office.

He stood over Markham's unconscious form for a moment before his accomplice stuck a helmeted head out of the lift. "Are you coming or not?" a female voice inquired.

"Just a moment," he snapped, then knelt beside the couch. "I will see you soon enough, old friend," and kissed the man on the forehead before rising and entering the lift.

Will Markham woke to hear a grinding noise in his skull. He looked around to orient himself and saw the familiar blue police box materialize where the bronze sculpture turned yellow lift once stood.

The Doctor and Martha barged out into the office. "Where is she?" he demanded.

Will was still disoriented enough he had to ask, "Where is who?" but the pair had seen the closet and pulled it open to reveal an unconscious pair uncomfortably squeezed together.

* * *

><p>Abraxas watched the scene from his interior monitor screen. "Do you think he'll know?"<p>

The seemingly 30-ish woman tossed her helmet at him, shaking her shoulder-length blonde hair loose. "Know that you're an idiot for pulling this stunt, right?" she teased as she turned back to the wall of control screens.

He blocked the helmet with his forearm, sending it spinning to the floor. "You didn't know them like I did," he countered. "That man knows more than he lets on, believe me. He already suspects who I am. I just hope Will doesn't remember seeing you."

"He was there when I was born!"

"Will was not!" he argued.

"I wasn't talking about Will, little brother, I was talking about _him_."

He switched off his monitor. "Just don't let him catch you saying that," he warned.

"He never knew I survived," she reminded him before leaving the control room to change and check on their erstwhile associate, Vislor.

Abraxas harrumphed. "I know _Will_ would agree with me," he groused, not seeing the elderly man enter behind him.

"What am I agreeing with you on this time?" he inquired.

"Nothing," the younger man lied. "Just arguing with Miss Hotshot, again."

The older man sidled up to the control bank and studied the controls. "Where are we, anyway? I want to get out and get some fresh air. Never did like these damn time machines."

Abraxas sighed. "Barcelona," he admitted. He was prepared for the head slap that followed.

"What did I tell you about that, you fool? Never go there!" he scolded the bigger man. "That was where-"

"I know what happened, Maester," he countered. "I just made sure it happened." He bit his tongue, reigning in his anger at the accusation.

"You're playing a dangerous game, child!"

Abraxas' anger rose. "I'm only making sure happens what you told me about, all those years ago!"

"For all his 'Time can be rewritten' cavalier attitude, I've still lost more than either of you will ever know, boy," he warned in a cool voice. "Don't tell me any different. You weren't there, not then."

Abraxas started to reply, but held his tongue and temper once more. He finally eked out, "I'm sorry."

"You better be, boy. Now get us out of here before he catches us."

Abraxas did as he was told, fully dematerializing his TARDIS from it's cloaked position outside his office window. He already knew where they were headed next. It was yet another story his Maester had told him in his childhood. A destination far more dangerous than the mission he had just accomplished.

TBC...

* * *

><p>AN: I began writing this arc well before AGMGTW (Hell, this whole story before 11th Hour!), and having just seen LKH after writing the majority of this chapter...well, I *still* have my own ideas on who River Song really is/was and considering I'm using an alt/future!Doctor based on a 40-something Brendan Gleeson, yeah, this is a totally alternate take on the whole cast. BTW, the door was going to reveal only River, but I decided Jack doesn't necessarily have to become her. I'm not even sure if Jack survives Miracle Day, yet, either!

And seriously, is Canton coming back this season (6) or not? Why build him up as a witness to 11's death if he was a one-off (TWO-off?) character? I think there's more to his story than we've been told, as well.

As for Abraxas, his story is just beginning. I know who all are in his crew (now and in past/future chapters), but I didn't really have any idea what his TARDIS would look like until I bought a lot of WHO toys on eBay. At first it was going to be the Genesis Ark, but then I saw it was a "clamshell" toy to stuff a Dalek in, and didn't have the opening doors as seen in the show. Also included in that lot was the Satan Pit lift. It had a working door and you could fit several figures inside. DING-DING! We have a winnah! Or would that be "VWOORP-VWOORP!"? LOL

No, I don't really play with them anymore, but I do customize action figures, and have, for many years. I do find it helps to have a certain actor in mind for a character when writing (re: Doctor = Brendan circa Lake Placid vs. Abraxas = BG in Troy), and even better, to have a physical form to look at (beyond just a picture or two). I am customizing my cast as I go along, and am not really ashamed to admit it! LOL Like I said, I need the visual to help focus when writing.

(actually, the hard part is my mind is at least three to six chapters ahead and I still have to figure out how to get there from here! It doesn't help when the show canon throws a curve ball, like Melody/River or the remodeled TARDIS interior from "Eleventh Hour" looking like MINE! I have the dates from when I started writing each chapter! Gggrrrrrrr!)


	4. Ch4 A Date To Remember

Doctor Who: ALBION - Barcelona

Chapter 20 - A Date to Remember

Disclaimer - I don't own nothing or nobody you know/recognize. Doctor Who is intellectual property of the BBC, afaik.

Characters: Gleeson!Doctor, Markham, River, Jack, SJS, Brig, etc, OCs

* * *

><p>The Doctor leaned over Martha. "Are they going to be alright?"<p>

"They both seem perfectly healthy to me, from what I can tell," she answered. "It would help if you could teach me to read that Sonic of yours, though."

The Time Lord harrumphed. "It would take too long. You wouldn't understand it, anyway."

"Well, it can tell you how they are better than I can," she countered.

He finally stepped back and looked at the scan again, admitting she was right. "It says she no longer has a blood clot. How can that be?"

"How should I know? Whatever those 'nanogenes' or whatever you called them are, it's far ahead of any 21st Century medical technology I'm aware of."

"You've helped Jack out in his little hole in the ground bunker," he reminded her.

"Which got turned into a big hole in the ground, thank you," she countered.

"He still had enough tech there, medical and otherwise, that would tell you more than this little thing could," he informed her, tucking the Sonic back into his jacket pocket.

"Again: Big hole. Ground."

"Trust her, she knows what she's talking about," Jack said, suddenly sitting up. Martha yelped in surprise. The Doctor continued to watch River. "What happened?"

"You tell us, Jack," the Time Lord insisted. "We found Will on the couch, here, just waking up and the two of you were stuffed inside that closet."

Jack looked around. "Where are we, anyway?"

The Doctor turned toward the TARDIS parked in the corner of the office and yelled "WILL! Get out here!"

Breaking the Time Lord's mandate of quarantine, Markham stepped out of the TARDIS. "They both awake?"

"I am," Jack offered. "River, however?" he motioned to the blonde on the couch and the burly ginger hovering over her. Martha stood to the side.

The Doctor looked up to his newest associate. "I want to know exactly how you lot ended up here, and I want to know, now."

Will turned to Jack. "That's the man you need to talk to, then."

Jack sighed. "Okay, then. I was on my ship (you remember the one, right?) in space when Mr. Markham, here, showed up and asked me to come with him." Will snorted at this.

The Doctor gave Jack an annoyed look. "_Everything_, Jack."

Jack gave a nervous glance to Martha. "There was-something happened, I can't say right now, because we're all from different time zones, okay? I tell you later in private." the Doctor reluctantly nodded and Jack proceeded.

"Anyway, after all was said and done, I was feeling pretty down-" Will cleared his throat. "-and was getting away from everything for a bit when Will picked me up." The other man rolled his eyes, but kept silent this time. "Ood Sigma was with him, and he said he was sent to gather a cavalry to help you out."

The Doctor turned to face Will. "Who sent you? Where did you meet Sigma? Did he have the TARDIS?"

Markham gulped nervously before answering and stole a glance to Jack before looking the Time Lord in the eye. "The Face of Boe took the TARDIS and sent me on my mission with the Ood."

Martha gasped at the name. "He's still alive?"

"Face of Boe?" Jack inquired. "What are you talking about?"

The Doctor shook his head. "It doesn't matter, Jack," he scolded the immortal before turning back to Will. "What did Boe tell you?"

Markham shrugged. "Not much," he lied, "but that I was to round up people to help you out of this jam?"

"And you followed the orders of a creature you've never met before, simply because he asked you nicely?" the Doctor demanded.

Will tossed a nervous glance to Jack. "He shared."

The Time Lord tossed his words back. "He shared? What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know full well what that means," Will argued, tapping his temple. The Time Lord grunted.

Martha and Jack looked at each other, confused. The Doctor spun and turned back to Jack. "What were you saying again?"

"About?"

"Get on with your story, Jack," he growled.

"Yeah, anyway," he looked sheepishly to Martha before continuing. "Will and I went about gathering everyone, with few problems." He tossed an annoyed glance to Will, who looked away, embarrassed. "After we collected the last of the people on the list-"

"Where was this list?" the Doctor interrupted.

"On one of the TARDIS screens?" Jack offered. "I don't know who made it."

The Doctor looked to Will, who only shrugged. "I thought it was some emergency protocol, to be honest. Ask the Ood or Boe, not me." The Doctor grunted again and motioned to Jack to continue.

"After we had collected everyone, the TARDIS came back here, itself," he explained. "The only problem was, we arrived too early and Governor Abraxas seemed to know who we were, right away. He ordered us to stay in the TARDIS, except for me, who he asked to stay with him until you arrived." Seeing the look on the Doctor's face, he quickly added, "Before you say anything, not like that. And no, he didn't let slip how he knew me or you, for that matter. He had me dress up like one of his guards and stay close, that's all. This morning, he took us down to the Arena for a mock combat, which we were just returning from when we met you coming out of his office. You know the rest."

"He gave you no indication of his intentions?"

"Sorry, no."

"What about this Vislor?"

"Really aggressive," Jack noted. "Even when there was nothing to annoy anyone, he was always spoiling for a fight. You don't think being a werewolf would explain that, do you?" he asked.

The Doctor seemed lost in thought a moment. "No, probably not. Well, I mean, maybe not, or maybe he was just the aggressive type?" he pondered. "He never said anything about Boe, did he, Jack?"

"Not that I heard, and believe me, I would have recognized _that_ name," he replied, noting Martha's amused smirk. "Alright, what is so funny about that?" he asked her.

She looked to the Doctor before answering and said with a barely straight face, "Nothing, Jack. Nothing at all."

He didn't believe her, but the group was distracted by a slight moaning from the couch. The Doctor knelt down by the young woman. "Good morning, Sweetie," he beamed.

"Hello...Sweetie?" she answered, still groggy, and taken aback by the man's goofy expression of joy at seeing her awake. "Where am I?"

"Governor Abraxas' office, although he seems to have abandoned it," he replied. "Do you feel like sitting up?"

She glanced around the room. "Who are all these people?"

"Captain Jack Harkness, ma'am," the immortal said, offering his hand.

"Down, Jack," the Time Lord chided, mock echoing his "I was only introducing myself" line.

"Martha Jones," the young medic introduced herself. "I don't believe we've actually met? Or at least, not that I was aware of?" She glanced to the Doctor for confirmation, but his attention was on the other woman. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I had a building dropped on me," she quipped, then seemed to notice Markham. "And who are you?"

"Will Markham," he simply said."Hm, not a man of many words," she noted and turned to the Doctor. "Do I know you?"

He sighed. "River-"

"River? That's a funny name for a man."

The others looked at each other in confusion.

"I'm sorry, is that your last name, then?" she asked.

"_Your_ name is River," he clarified. "River Song. Don't you remember?" He was almost afraid of her answer.

She looked at him in confusion. "No it's not. My name is...oh. I can't seem to recall it?"

The Time Lord sighed. "Does the name 'Melody Pond' mean anything to you? What about 'Mels'?" he seemed to beg. Jack and Martha looked at him questioningly. Will watched her intently.

She mouthed it, as if trying it out. "No, sorry, should it? I mean," she laughed to dissuade her growing panic, "I should know my own name, right?"

The Doctor rose and held out his hand to help her stand, as well. "You don't remember what happened here, today?"

She looked to the others for a clue, but none were coming. "I'm sorry, but...no?"

He pulled her close. "River, I-I asked you to marry me," he reminded her. "Please tell me you remember?"

She tried to pull free, suddenly scared. "I-I'm sorry, no. You didn't even tell me your name!"

"I'm the Doctor. Please River, tell me that name means something to you?" he begged.

"Doctor what? You're some sort of medic?" she questioned.

"Hold on," Jack interrupted. "Didn't she say something earlier about River not being her name?"

The Doctor stared at her in disbelief, but he remembered...and immediately dismissed it in his concern over her headaches (and, he had to admit, he was still love struck by her appearance).

Will dropped back onto the couch. "Show her," he urged.

The Doctor turned to him. "What?"

He tapped his head. "Show her what we talked about, earlier."

The Time Lord turned back to the young woman. "If this is the only way?" he asked her, cupping her face in his hands.

"W-what are you doing?" she asked.

"Stop it, you're scaring her," Martha argued.

"Not after this," he said and pulled her into a kiss. At the same time, he recalled the conversation that took place in that room, earlier in the day. From their meeting at the café to his proposal and the intrusion of Abraxas and Vislor.

She finally pushed him away and stumbled back. Will caught her arm and guided her down beside him on the couch. "W-what-what was that?" she stammered.

"That's what happened this afternoon," the Doctor informed her.

She looked up at him in disbelief, then stood and slapped him. Hard.

"Wow. Still got it," he said, rubbing his cheek. "I assume that was for-?"

"I'm not River," she informed him and stormed out of the office.

It was now the Doctor's turn to drop down to the couch in disbelief. Will rubbed his back in consolation. "I'm sorry. I thought that would have turned out better."

"We have to go after her," Jack urged, turning toward the door.

"No. No, we don't Jack," the Doctor said, stopping his friend in his tracks. "She's right. That's not River. Not my River, at least. I don't know who that woman was."

The other three looked at each other uncomfortably. "Back in the TARDIS, all of you," he ordered as he stood up. Jack opened the door for Martha, then looked to Will, who glared at the Time Lord.

"Bugger this, you pronk," he said and stormed out of the room after the woman. The Doctor glared at Jack, who quickly entered the blue box. The Time Lord took one last look towards the door, then entered the TARDIS and dematerialized it.

"You can't just leave him behind!" Sarah Jane protested.

He ignored her, brushing her off with a scolding, "He knew the rules."

As quickly as he had dematerialized, he set the TARDIS down again. The others looked amongst themselves, confused. "Where are we?" Jack asked.

"Nobody leaves," he declared and stormed out the door.

"Something's wrong, Jack," Sarah Jane decided. "This woman, how does she figure into all this?"

He shrugged. "I've never met her. None of us have, except...Canton?"

"What?" the former FBI agent asked innocently.

"You mentioned 'River' when we picked you up?"

"Who is this River woman? What does she mean to the Doctor?" Sarah Jane pressed.

"She's..." he struggled to remember when they had met. "She's a screamer? And she handles herself well in a firefight?"

Jack smirked. "Well, that's a lot of help." He turned to the rest of the crew. "No one else has met her? He's never mentioned her?"

"Mentioned who, Jack?" the Doctor asked, returning with two garment bags slung over one shoulder. "I can't leave you lot alone for two seconds and you're talking about me?"

Awkward and embarrassed looks spread across the room, except for Jack and Sarah Jane. "What's going on?" she demanded.

He handed Jack one of the bags. "Take that to Markham's room." He then turned back to Sarah Jane. "I need your help with something. Follow me." He headed off into one of the corridors. Sarah Jane hesitated then followed.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" she inquired.

He countered with "How long have you known me?"

She grabbed his arm. "That's not fair. You've aged how many years since we first met? I've seen you change over the years. You haven't always been like this."

He finally stopped and turned to face her. "I just need you to trust me, right now. Is that too much to ask?"

"Who is River? What does she mean to you?"

He hesitated for a long moment. "It's complicated."

"It always is, with you."

"You don't understand. The first time we met, she knew all about me," he began. "She was disappointed that I had no clue about her, but she still-" He caught himself, obviously upset. "She sacrificed herself to save a handful of people, so I wouldn't have to."

Sarah Jane gave a gasp of astonishment. He pressed on.

"She said I have all of this relationship to look forward to, and...and I'm afraid to lose her now that she's finally met me. I've put something off for far too long, and now I have to see this through to the end."

"Your end, it's her beginning? Is that it?"

"Not quite. At least, I hope not. We keep meeting in the wrong order," he admitted. "All that time, all our missed connections, they've almost all been met."

"So what are you going to do now?"

He gave her a sad smile. "I've got a date to keep."

"You know," she forced a smile, "that's one thing I wished we could have had. A date. Two people, out for a night."

He smiled and reached out, cupping her head. "Oh, Sarah. My Sarah Jane. I'm sorry we couldn't have been more than friends."

"Are you? Sorry about us, I mean?"

He forced a smile. "I knew we could never be more than friends. Can't we leave it at that?"

"That will have to do, won't it?" she said, forcing another smile, herself, before changing the subject. "She is very pretty, isn't she?"

He didn't have to lie this time. "You are, too."

She knew she had to change the subject again lest she lose control of herself. "Right. What was this errand you needed help with?"

That earnest, goofy grin of his spread across his face once more. Sarah Jane couldn't help but remember a similar expression, "all teeth and curls" they had joked. It made her fall for him, once more, and she let her own smile echo his.

* * *

><p>Will Markham had chased the twenty-something woman with a mass of blonde curls out of the building and into the streets. She kept ignoring him. He finally caught her by the arm.<p>

"Will you just please stop and talk to me for a minute?" he begged.

She plucked his hand off her arm. "No."

"Give me one reason why I should let you go."

She pulled out her pistol and pointed it him, square in the chest. "This is the only reason I need."

"What are you so afraid of?"

"I can't remember who I am!" she exclaimed. "I have vague impressions, but as far as I know, I woke up in that closet and I have no idea where I am, who I am, or who you people are!"

"What about-?" he wiggled a finger at his head.

"Your friend forced those memories into my head? I don't know what you people think you're doing, but I want no part of it," she declared. "Now leave me alone!"

"Then go ahead," he urged, leaning forward into the gun. "That's the only way you're going to get rid of me."

"If that's what you want, then fine." She pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

She pulled the trigger again and again.

"He turned it off the moment you walked up to us, earlier," he informed her. "When he slammed it down on the table."

"Well, there's the problem," she told him. "I don't remember meeting you before I woke up, up there!" she yelled, throwing her arm in the general direction they had just come from. "I don't even know where I got this gun!" She tossed it to him in frustration.

"I'm sorry, River-"

She held up her hand in his face. "Stop. Don't call me that."

"That's your name, isn't it? River Song?"

"I told you, I don't know who I am, much less anything else!" She began to cry.

She allowed him to pull her in for a hug. "Let's go find someplace to sit and talk, ok?" She nodded and let him lead the way to a nearby café.

He sat across from her and held her hand until she felt like talking. "What _do_ you remember?"

"Nothing," she said again. "Even what he-he _pushed_ into my mind? It doesn't feel real? Like it happened to somebody else?"

"Yeah, that's how it felt when I got my first mental download when I first ran into him," he chuckled softly.

"Excuse me?"

"The first time I met the Doctor, we were both running through the woods trying to get to people we-" he paused for a moment, the memories of that day never left him. The beginning of the last days of his old life. "We, uh, anyway, we literally ran into one another, head to head. In one moment, I knocked him out cold, he filled my head with things I never knew existed. Heck of a way to start a friendship, huh?"

"So you are friends, then?"

"Let's just say...we both have left behind the lives we once lead and are looking to, uh...oh damn Hades if I know?" he laughed for a second, then turned serious. "I gave up my world so he and his friends could return to theirs. And the Doctor? Well, he had his own reasons for leaving his home, all those years ago."

"Really? Like what?" she inquired.

Will gave it some thought. "I guess you could call it wanderlust? The desire to see what's out there? What comes next?"

"And what about you? What are you looking for?"

He gave a deep sigh. "A place to call home again?"

"Are you lonely?"

He was silent a moment. "I miss my wife, my family, my old life. I know I can never go back. That was the price I paid to restore the world they came from."

"And where does the Doctor come from?"

"Somewhere else. A place lost to him, long ago," he admitted. "From what I saw in his mind, he's as lonely as he's ever been." He looked her in the eye. "You're one of the few things that keeps him going. Did you know that?"

"I don't even know him, how can he know me?"

"You two keep meeting out of order. We're time travelers, River-"

"Don't call me that."

"Then what should I call you?"

It was her turn to be silent. "Does it matter?"

"Do you want to know?" he offered, squeezing her hand.

"Y-Yes. I do, but-"

"What are you scared of?"

"Why does he want me?"

"I told you. You are one of the few things he looks forward to in his travels." He gave her hand another squeeze. "He was heartbroken when you ran out. The look in his eyes-"

"How do you know me?"

"I don't," he admitted.

"Then how do you know all this about him and me, supposedly?"

He tapped the side of his head with his free hand. "I told you, when we first met, he accidentally shared a lot of information with me."

"How?"

"I'm an empath. A psychic. It's run in my family for several generations," he told her, remembering his encounter with his ancestors when he and the Doctor first saved _his_ Jackson Lake's life. "Unless I concentrate, keep my thoughts focused, I can see things. I can read your thoughts, or sometimes get a flash of future events. Although that does get more than a little confusing these days, time traveling and all," he laughed.

She stared at him. He could sense her growing fear.

"Yes. I can help you remember," he informed her. "I don't know if it was the nano-whatsis healing you that messed you up or the blood clot had already affected your memory, but I can help you remember who you were." He watched her for a reaction. "If you want to?"

She looked around, scanning the crowd, trying to make up her mind. Without looking back to him, she said, "Yes."

He took her other hand in his. "Look at me," he urged. "Do you trust me?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Always."

She looked him in the eyes and nodded. He took both her hands in his and began reaching out with his mind, feeling her, taking in her essence. He tried not to let his mind drift to what he remembered from the Doctor, but to let her write her own identity. The world around them fell away.

He soon realized, this woman wasn't the River Song the Doctor expected. The woman he had just called Melody Pond before she ran away from him. He realized there was a reason Abraxas insisted they put Jack into the nanogene closet with her.

A very good reason.

* * *

><p>"Hello, handsome," Jack teased the Time Lord, nudging Canton encouragingly as the Doctor re-entered the control room. Whistles and other teasing encouragement met him as he approached the console from the other companions.<p>

"That's enough, you lot!" he scolded them as he began to work the controls. He watched Sarah Jane enter and motion Martha over before the two disappeared into the kitchen hallway. He looked across the control to Jack.

"What's going on?"

"I'm telling you this once, and once only. I am dropping you lot off for a vacation. Jack knows the area, so listen to him or else."

"I do? Where are we going?"

The Doctor smiled. "Spoilers."

Jack rolled his eyes.

"I have an errand to take care of, after which, I will be rejoining you and taking you home," he informed them.

"What about Will and River?" Jack inquired.

"That's the last part of my errand, picking them up," he said as he brought the craft to a stop once more.

"So, where are we being dropped off at?" Jack asked again.

"Out, the lot of you!" the Time Lord bellowed.

"What about Martha? And Sarah Jane?" Mickey asked as he was ushered towards the door.

"They'll be along in a moment, don't worry," the Doctor assured him. He glanced back to the kitchen, to see the pair emerge, carrying a large picnic basket between them.

"Do you ladies need a hand?" the Brigadier offered, already reaching for the basket. he motioned to Mickey to lend a hand, but he knew his wife better than the general did.

"Thank you, Alistair," Sarah replied, handing off her side. She stopped and turned to the Doctor. "You do know what you're doing?"

He smiled. "I'll see you soon."

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "For luck." He took her hand, even as she stepped away. She stole one last look before she left, to see him nod at her.

When the door closed, he turned back to the controls and set his destination before returning to his quarters and changing into his new suit. Having expected the reaction to his haircut, he knew he didn't want to get the others talking about why he chose now to get a new suit.

Part of it was, the TARDIS had yet to accommodate his new bulkier appearance in the wardrobe, the other part was, well, he knew this day was coming, and he knew he had to dress the part. Before he left, he grabbed the special package he had created and set aside. It seemed so long ago in anticipation of this day.

He grew nervous as he returned to the control room. He reached for the console telephone and saw his hand shaking. He forced himself still and lifted the handle to his head. It was already ringing.

"Hello?" came a familiar voice. His hearts skipped a beat.

"Are you busy tonight?"

"Hello, sweetie," River replied. He could hear the smile in her voice. "I'm sure I can squeeze you in for a few hours, or however long you had in mind."

He smiled in anticipation. "I'll pick you up in an hour. Is that okay?"

"You're taking me out? What's the occasion?"

He couldn't help but tease her. "Spoilers."

"That's my line," she teased. "I'll see you in a bit, my love."

"I'll be right there," he replied and hung up. "There, that wasn't so bad, was it?" he told himself as he landed the TARDIS in her living room, silently materializing.

He stepped out and could hear water running. "Of course, she's still in the shower," he groused. He looked around her home. He wondered how she could ever put up with the hodge-podge warped time of their relationship as he wandered. He almost didn't realize he had strolled into her (their?) bedroom.

"Honey, I'm home!" he called out.

"You're early!" she shouted back, turning off the water.

"I'm not early," he teased, sitting down on the edge of the bed, "you're taking too long!"

She opened the en suite bathroom door and glared at him. "_You_ are early!" she scolded.

He laughed and fell back on the bed, listening to her rummage around, getting ready.

"What's the occasion, anyway?" she called out. "Birthday? Anniversary? Saturday?"

"Sure, why not?" he called back.

"Where are we going, so I know what to wear?"

"Picnic?"

"Asgard again?"

"No, I have someplace else in mind."

"Where?" she insisted.

"Trust me, you'll like it."

She opened the door again, clad in a silk robe. "Trust you? Ha! Whatever made you think I would trust you?" she teased as she crossed the room to her closet.

He watched her move, admiring every curve, ingraining it in his memory. She stopped and turned to him.

"Out."

"What? I've seen you change before."

"Tough. I want to surprise you, now _out._"

He got up and moved toward the door.

"Stop right there," she ordered. He did and turned to her. She stepped up to him, studying him and his new basic black suit with white collared shirt and scarf. "New suit and a haircut? This must be important."

"Can't I impress my lady once in a while?"

She frowned at him. "No. now out." He grinned and turned to leave the room. "By the way, that looks good on you," she told him.

He winked and smiled back at her as he shut the door. He fought the urge to glance through her papers as he waited. He finally gave in and took a cursory glance without touching anything. A large envelope caught his eye. The return address name confirmed it. He didn't have to open it, he knew what was inside. He leaned against the TARDIS and questioned what he was doing, once again.

She caught him by surprise as she entered the room. "Don't tell me you parked-yes, you did," she sighed in defeat. "What have I told you about parking inside?" she asked him, adjusting her earrings.

"Don't bother the neighbors?" he offered, kissing her hand.

She rolled her eyes and took the arm he offered her. He took a long moment to admire her in her outfit, recalling her preferred style of slinky black dresses. She had a wrap of a similar material draped over arms and behind her shoulders. Her hair was pulled back, similar to how she looked when he first met her. Then, it was (would be?) for simplicity's sake, wearing that helmet. Tonight was her personal choice.

"Your chariot awaits, milady," he said and snapped his fingers. The doors of the TARDIS swung open and the pair entered.

"You still haven't told me where we're going?" she prodded him as he began to work the controls.

"Darillium," he finally answered.

"The Singing Towers?" she gasped. "I love that place!"

"I know," he beamed.

"You are up to something!" she accused.

He ignored her and set the TARDIS down on a hill with a magnificent view of the Towers. She took it in as he retrieved their picnic basket that Sarah Jane and Martha had assembled for him. He laid out the blanket and they made small talk as they listened to the Towers and ate.

He held her close as they soaked in the beauty of the scene. She revelled in the moment until she turned to rub her cheek against his. It was wet.

"You're crying."

"I'm enjoying tonight," he told her.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he lied.

She knew it, but didn't argue. They stayed until the sun set and the air began to chill.

"We should get going," she urged him.

"What's the rush?" he asked.

"I have a job offer," she explained. "I need to get back and let them know if I'm going to take it or not."

"You know I can take you back before they even ask, or right at the moment you need to be there."

"You think so, huh?" she teased.

"I know so," he retorted, kissing her shoulder.

"You're not even going to ask what it is?"

He stayed silent, lips pressed to her skin.

"You already know about it, don't you?"

He pulled away and sat up. "You're right, we should get going before you catch a chill."

"Is there something you're not telling me?" she asked.

He ignored her and began packing the basket to leave.

"Sweetie? What is it?"

He stood up and grabbed the basket, heading back to the TARDIS. "Grab the blanket, would you?"

She stared after him in disbelief. She finally gave chase and threw the blanket at him once she cornered him in the kitchen. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," he insisted.

"You clammed up once I mentioned I had a job offer," she accused him. "You know something about it, don't you?"

"No, I don't know anything about the Lib-" He caught himself.

She stared at him, accusingly. He avoided her and headed back out to the control room.

"You know it's an expedition to the Library, don't you?"

He worked the controls to dematerialize the ship.

"Answer me!"

"Yes."

She waited for him to explain. "You know what happened there, don't you?"

He clenched his jaw. "I can't tell you. You have to find out for yourself." He looked her in the eyes. "Please don't ask me any more."

She could see he was torn. He knew something was going to happen, something he couldn't help her with. She knew it was no use arguing with him on future events, so she offered a truce. "I'll make you a deal. If I'm going to run into trouble, I'll give you a shout. Okay?"

He looked away and began fishing something out of his jacket pocket. "Here," he said, offering a long, thin box to her.

"You can't buy me off with trinkets."

"It's not jewelry or trinkets or-" He trailed off, unable to finish. "I made it. For you."

She looked at it, then back up to him. He laid it on the console. "Please. Take it."

"What is it?" she asked as she picked it up and opened it. A smile spread across her face. "My very own Sonic? You shouldn't have," she teased before she realized why. "I'm going to need this, aren't I?"

He wrapped his large hand around hers on the device. "Two conditions."

She smirked. This ought to be good. "Whatever you want, my love."

"Keep this on you at all times," he urged. "From here on out."

This only confirmed he wouldn't be there for her. "And?"

"Tell me everything."

She blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Tonight. Read me your diary. Tell me everything we've done together."

She gave him a suspicious look. "Why?"

He forced a smile back at her. "Why not?"

"What about spoilers?"

With one word he confirmed her worst fear: the end of their relationship for him. "Everything."

She retrieved her purse from the divan where she had laid it earlier. "You want me to read it to you in here?"

He stepped up to her and held her hands. "Not necessarily," he smiled.

She smiled back. "Go grab another bottle of champagne. I'll meet you there."

It was hours later before she finally caught him up. They took the occasional break for other activities when the mood struck. When she finally closed her diary, she reached across him and laid it on the bedside table, then laid her head on his naked chest, exhausted. She loved to do this, lay on him, listening to the rhythm of his hearts beating. It was the best way to fall asleep, she found, especially with this body. It was soft and cuddly, unlike previous versions which were too lean and gangly.

He lay there, head propped up on pillows against the headboard, stroking his thick fingers in her hair. His thoughts drifting over what she had told him and what he knew. The stories didn't quite match up.

Whether she had forgotten certain details in the recording or purposefully left them out just in case the book fell into the wrong (his?) hands, he didn't know. What he did know was that the woman he had just rescued on Barcelona was never this woman lying on his chest. He wondered if there was a reason for that? After all, Romana had taken the form of the late Princess Ardra, and River had once been capable of regenerating, herself. Even he had just met his double in Abraxas, but he suspected there was more to that than he was meant to know. For now, at least.

"So, now you know all my dirty little secrets," she cooed. "How about sharing some of yours?"

"There's only one thing you need to know, River," he told her.

She smiled at the rumble in his chest as he spoke, but lifted her head to ask. "What's that, m'love?"

He leaned forward and whispered in her ear.

She gave him a puzzled expression. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He smiled. "I'll tell you what that means when the time is right. The next time you see me, in fact. Trust me."

She studied his face. He was still upset about earlier, she could tell. "And where will that be?"

He gave her a tired smile. "Spoilers."

She chuckled and dropped her head back to his chest. "And who will you be traveling with?"

Exhaustion was beginning to take hold. He didn't even realize he answered her. "Donna...Donna Noble."

She made a mental note of the name as she listened to him drift to sleep. She dozed off herself, but woke when he tried turning in his sleep. "I'll be right back," she whispered as she rose from the bed. She wasn't sure if he grunted acknowledgement or simply snored as she pulled on her robe.

As a cover, she grabbed their empty glasses and bottle to take back to the kitchen. Of course, the control room was on her way, she would claim innocently if he happened to wake and follow her.

She touched the controls, waking them from their own sleep mode. "Computer, tell me about Donna Noble," she requested.

Ten minutes later, she returned to their quarters, washed her tearstained face and rejoined the slumbering Doctor. "I'm sorry, my love," she whispered as she kissed him. She watched him sleep until she finally drifted back off herself.

She was woken the next morning by the Doctor setting a breakfast tray down to climb back into bed with her. "Good morning," he beamed.

"morning," she mumbled, fighting off the sleep.

"Enjoy yourself last night?" he inquired.

"Mmm, very," she cooed as she stretched. He offered her a cup of coffee. "Where are you off to, next?" she asked, sipping it.

"I'll be around," he demurred, biting into a piece of toast.

"That's nice," she replied. She ran her free hand up his back and down his arm, cuddling into it. "When will I see you again?" The inference was not lost on him.

He kissed her forehead. "All in due time."

"I won't be seeing _you_ next time, will I?"

He smiled. "Maybe, maybe not. Who knows?" He offered her a piece of toast.

She elbowed him in the ribs as she bit down. "Admit it, you'd be lost without me," she teased.

He smiled and gave her a soft chuckle. He then gave her another quick kiss and got back out of the bed. "Don't you have to be somewhere?"

She lay back into the pillows. "Aren't you the one who said you could drop me off at any time I wanted, even before I was offered a job?"

He smiled and seemed embarrassed at what she was suggesting.

"We could take as long as we wanted. Sweetie."

"I have to be somewhere."

She scoffed. "Like you were ever on time for anything, even-" She stopped when she saw the guilty look on his face. "Oh. This is low, even for you."

"I'm sorry."

She grabbed her clothes and ran out of the room. "I'm going home," she informed him, snarling, "You know where you can go."

He jumped as she slammed the door. He hadn't expected it to go this badly. He glanced around at the chaos of the room, then spied the book. He picked it up and stared at the cover for a long minute as he felt the TARDIS moving. He started for the door when something else caught his eye. She had left her earrings and her new Sonic. He had no idea how long he stood there, staring at them before he made himself move.

She was already gone from the control room. Poking his head outside the door, he saw she had parked the TARDIS back where he had arrived to pick her up before. He could hear her screaming at him from the other room. He wrote her a quick note and laid it on top of the book and sonic on her desk before he left.

She heard the TARDIS groaning as he left and ran out after him. "-_and another thing-_!" she screamed at the fading image of the blue box, but it was too late. She cursed at him once more and turned to leave the room when she saw the book and note.

"I'll always be here for you."

She crumpled the note in her hand. "You insufferable, impossible _man_!" she growled before finally breaking down in tears. She had wondered often about that day. Now she knew why.

* * *

><p><strong>Barcelona<strong>

Will Markham strolled down the walk with the young woman who had finally agreed to call herself "River Song" on his arm.

"Are you sure you won't tell him?" she asked.

"Not even if my life depended on it."

"It's not your life I'm worried about," she replied. "What if it's his? His will."

He stopped and turned to her. "Trust me," he urged and kissed her on the temple.

"I do, William. I do."

"Am I interrupting anything?"

The pair froze and stared at each other in disbelief. They slowly turned and looked behind them to see an imposing man with red hair standing there.

"Doctor?" Will ventured. He looked different, somehow.

The man slapped him hard on the back and laughed.

Will Markham never wished more he was somewhere else in his entire life.

"I've been looking all over for you two," the other man grinned, unsettling both. "I have a huge favor to ask of you, Mr. Markham."

* * *

><p>The Doctor parked the TARDIS in the front yard, strolled to the door and knocked. The man of the house finally answered. "Hello, Rory! Rory the Roman!"<p>

The younger man gave him a puzzled expression. "Can I, um, can I help you?" then he saw the blue box in the yard. He did a triple-take before shouting, "Amy? AMY!"

Amy came to the door, wiping her hands on a towel from baking. "Yeah, what do you..._YOU?_ Look at you! You're _ginger_!" she screamed and hugged the Time Lord. She then stopped and held him at arm's length. "Did you copy that from me, Raggedy Man?" she teased.

"Are you sure you didn't copy that from _me_?" he laughed, hugging her tight. Rory rolled his eyes. "Listen, I need a quick favor."

"Sorry," Rory cut him off. "We're kinda, um, in the middle of something." Amy turned on him and glared. "Of-of course," he stammered, "you're more than welcome to stay, um, if you'd like?"

She had already grabbed the larger man's arm and was dragging him through the house to the backyard. He looked back to see Rory throw his hands up in frustration, before he stopped and stared at the celebration that was setting up. By Jack, Will, Rhys, Mickey, Canton, and a couple young boys. Not to mention all the other familiar faces.

"Are you having a party?"

"Here, mingle," Amy ordered him. "I've got to go change before the ceremony starts."

Before he could ask, a forty-ish woman called to him, waving to attract his attention. "Oi, Professah!"

He did a double take, unsure it was really her. He barely got out "Ace?" before he was accosted.

"Surely, you're not wearing _that_?" Jack inquired of his traveling clothes. He had come strolling up in a tuxedo top and kilt and, taking his hand, pulled the man into a hug, then latched himself on one arm.

"Don't you have anything more formal back in the TARDIS?" Martha teased, wearing a formal gown, herself.

"I'm sure he does," the also tuxedoed Markham insisted and pushed him back the way he had come with Jack's assistance.

"Not to worry," Jack teased. "The Brig's actually got a small UNIT squad keeping the perimeter. No one gets in or out. It's better that way, trust me."

"_Will someone please tell me what's going on?_" he demanded.

Three hours later, he stood in his Gallifreyan Ceremonial robes before the assembled party from various points in time.

"I'll always be here for you," he told River before kissing her.

The assembled crowd of companions cheered as the couple were pronounced man and wife by the Brigadier. It was only after the Doctor kissed his new bride that he noticed that the group had been larger than he realized while his attention was focused ahead, reciting their vows.

Among the additional wedding party at Amy and Rory Pond's home were: Craig and Sophie Owens; Sarah Jane's charges Luke, Clyde, and Rani; K9; Dr. Harry Sullivan; Dorothy; Jo and her grandson; a once-again pregnant Gwen and Rhys; Wilfred Mott; Jackson's wife Rosita and son Frederic; Amy's friend Jeff (still unsure who was being feted); Henry and Toby Avery; even Savalon Glitz and Absolom Daak were present, and, much to his surprise, Ian and Barbara.

Other noted guests were Alpha Centauri, Ood Sigma (who was transmitting the fete to Boe), Vincent van Gogh, William Shakespeare, Leonardo, Albert Einstein, Nicola Tesla (who Markham kept chatting up), Michel de Nostredame, Plato, Arthur, among others. A few people there seemed to know the Doctor, but he was unfamiliar with them, to which they laughed amongst themselves at some private joke. He chalked them up to friends of the Ponds.

The Doctor was puzzled by the newcomers' appearance until he saw a couple attempting to hide in the shadows: His now-formerly bearded double (although he now sported an oddly pointed pair of sideburns) and a young blonde woman. Abraxas smiled and nodded at him as he put his arm around the young woman. Even she was achingly familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on why. When she realized they had been spotted, she quickly disappeared. He later spotted the man with a middle-aged brunette, who caught his eye, smiled fondly and waved, then also slipped away.

The so-called Governor kept to himself, mingling among the historical celebrities, apparently knowing them fairly well, but staying well away from the groom. At one point, the Doctor nearly caught up to the man, but Jack pretended to stumble into the Time Lord and Abraxas slipped away once more. His so-called "Best Man" Harkness feigned inebriated innocence and was quickly pulled away to dance by Markham, much to the Doctor's annoyance.

Sarah Jane intercepted him before he could pursue. "So, I guess all things are possible, aren't they?"

"You're jealous," he teased.

She punched his arm. "I am not!"

"Yes, you are," he chuckled and took her hands in his. "I'm still not going to apologize for leaving you behind, you know."

"Well, someone had to set up for the party," she deflected.

"You know what I mean, Sarah Jane," he told her. "You're probably the best friend I ever had. I mean that."

"Even better than her?" she teased.

He tried to act indignant, but failed. "That's not fair," he laughed.

"What about you know who?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow. "When was the last time you saw him?"

He was silent for a moment. He knew who she meant. "He sacrificed himself, you know. His last act," he told her, then shrugged. "But you're right."

"He was your oldest friend and greatest enemy, of course you miss him at a time like this," she consoled him and kissed him on the cheek.

He happened to see Jack now talking with the Ponds. "Right, my oldest friend," he mused, then admitted, "Well, friend that I've known most of my life."

She hugged him tight. "I hope she's everything you need," she finally said and began to step away so others could talk to him. "I'll see you later?"

He forced a smile as he watched her walk away. "Always, my Sarah Jane." He knew this would be their last meeting, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her.

Leonardo interrupted his thoughts, going on about how Canton had to show him how the modern plumbing worked and he now had ideas for many other things. The Doctor was glad for him and tried to break away to see how Vincent's painting of the event was going. He would later deny it was actually a ruse to get rid of Leonardo by palming him off on another artist.

Between the press of well-wishing friends and his new bride, Abraxas had slipped away from the Doctor unseen, despite several of the newcomers admitting the Governor had brought them, assuming it was a slightly older version of his current self. Whoever this man was, the Doctor had decided, his true identity would wait for another day. As would the young woman appearing to be River Song. Markham said she had slipped away shortly after they arrived in Leadworth for the ceremony, before Amy, Rory, or her adult counterpart could meet her. He later realized, this was probably for the best, just in case a time paradox occurred between the two Rivers.

For the present, the Doctor focused on enjoying the nuptials surrounded by his nearest and dearest. He knew his time with his new bride was limited, and he wanted to enjoy it as much as he could (or already had). River pulled him out to the dance area, followed in turn by Amy, Jack, Martha, Jo, Dorothy, Rosita, Jack again (quickly pulled away by Rhys and Will), young Rani, and finally, Sarah Jane after she had danced with Alistair, Jack, Harry, River, and her son Luke. He also had a laugh as Rory made a bit of a fuss over Amy dancing with Vincent. Meanwhile, Jack and Will cut in on Gwen and Rhys, who tolerated it until a slightly drunken Will's hand started wandering where Rhys didn't appreciate it. Gwen quickly cut back in to her husband, allowing Jack to take back his friend.

If anything else, he was glad there were no intrusions by any foes that day, although his hearts did ache at the absence of his longtime nemesis, the Master. He managed to pull Alistair, Jack, Will, and Wilf aside for a few moments to toast to his memory and others lost or fallen over the years as the party wound down.

"To friends and foe alike. To all those days shared and remembered, and all those yet to come!"

* * *

><p>TBC: What Comes Next?<p>

* * *

><p>AN: SPOILERS AHOY!

Okay, since it seems nearly ALL of River's secrets are apparently to be revealed in 2011, I decided to push MY VERSION ahead. I've tweaked this up to LKH, which accommodates the Baby Melody/Mels/River regenerations. MY theory as to River's true identity was a bit flexible and I figured out a loophole, still tying into her first appearance, which is where my theory is mostly predicated upon.

I wasn't even planning on getting to the wedding for a few chapters yet, but then it was confirmed that 6.13 will be called "The Wedding of River Song". well FUUUUUUUUUU! I know I kinda jumped into it on this one, and this chapter was running a bit longer than my usual length. Oh, and having it in Leadworth is just a nod to that "reveal". Otherwise, they would have stayed on Barcelona, with Jack taking the Cavalry out for eats and the Doctor running off to meet "his" River for the Darillium date. But how DID the Time Cavalry get to Leadworth?

And yes, Abraxas and several other wedding guests are there for a reason (A couple in particular!) setting up the next arc. (re: like WHEN Abraxas was there) Others are just a nice nod to the past. And as noted by Jack early in this chapter, most are pulled from different time zones, so he never says much about what's coming in "Miracle Day", finishing up this coming weekend. So if Jack's reintroduction a few chapters earlier doesn't make sense, it was written well before it finished airing. Also, the mention of a pregnant Gwen is a plot thread I dropped at the end of the first arc, mostly due to MD and the TV canon "River reveal". oy. Not quite the direction I would have taken it, but the timing was going to be a factor in what would have happened there, too. (hint: Small Worlds)

TW Spoiler update: damn. Glad I didn't bet on who was going to survive MD! I had Esther staying on, and Rex dying, dangit! Would've been nice to see John "Q" de Lancie survive, too!


	5. Ch5 What Comes Next

Doctor Who: ALBION - Countdown

Chapter 21 - What Comes Next

Disclaimer - I don't own nothing or nobody you know/recognize. Doctor Who is intellectual property of the BBC, afaik.

Characters: Gleeson!Doctor, Markham, River, Jack, OCs

* * *

><p>It had been over two weeks since Jack Harkness and Will Markham had been left behind after the Doctor's wedding to River Song when they got the news.<p>

"You think this is why he didn't come back?" Will asked as he drove to the funeral.

"You mean come back for _us_?" Jack corrected, then noticed they had arrived. "Here, on the left."

Will pulled into the small but crowded lot beside the funeral home. "You know what I mean. He knew this was coming. He set it up so she could be there at the wedding. One last hurrah, and all."

"One last goodbye with all his friends?" Jack suggested as they got out. "I don't think even the Doctor could be that cruel, even if he meant well."

"What if he's inside, already?" Will inquired, buttoning his suit jacket. He had worn an all black suit and already chided Jack enough that morning over his insistence on wearing his usual "uniform", but he at least had worn the dark blue shirt, stopped and looked at his friend. "Even worse, what if he is already here, several times over?"

"We play dumb and act like we don't know them?" he chuckled, then asked, "Wait a minute, Mr. Immortal. How many faces do you know?"

Jack smirked. "Enough." Will gave him a light punch on the arm as they entered the home. "Hey, I had to keep tabs on him while waiting for 'My Doctor' to show his handsome face," he chuckled. Will gave him a disproving look.

They saw the reception line was already long. Some faces they recognized from the wedding, some Jack knew from their association with UNIT. Some were complete strangers to the pair.

"If anything else, I hope we don't get any 'surprise visitors' today," Jack noted.

"You mean you didn't notice the undercover UNIT guards patrolling the block outside?" Will smirked.

"Yes, but I didn't want to alarm you," Jack mused.

Will was unsure if he was lying or not. He did keep to himself one griever he noticed sitting on a bench across the street corner. She wore the typical black mourning dress and jacket, with a dark scarf and sunglasses in an attempt to hide her identity. He guessed she was waiting for someone, and that list was extremely short. He wasn't surprised Jack hadn't noticed her, or admitted it, since their interaction was previously limited. Or maybe she was just working up the courage to pay her respects?

The pair made idle chit-chat while waiting their turn. Half an hour later was when he noticed she had made her way inside, amongst a group of others. He didn't point her out to Jack, but gave her a quick nod, which she returned. It was another twenty minutes before they had made it to the front of the line.

"Captain Harkness, Mr. Markham," he greeted them, shaking their hands.

"How are you holding up, Luke?" Jack asked.

"As well as can be expected, I guess," he forced a smile.

"My deepest sympathies for your loss," Will told him. "Believe me, I understand what you're going through, right now."

"Thank you, Mr. Mark-"

"_Will_," he insisted.

"Thank you, Will," Luke smiled. "Mum told me about, um, what happened?"

Will was slightly embarrassed by this. "Right. I did apologize to her," he admitted. "I only met your mother briefly, but what the Doctor, um, shared with me?" he wasn't sure if either had known the whole truth of how he knew what the Doctor knew. "She was one of his best friends, and that should be all anyone needs to know about her to like her."

"Thanks, I guess, Will?" he stammered, touched by his confession.

"You haven't seen or heard from him, have you?" Jack asked quietly.

"Well, there was someone hanging about by the house, but I haven't seen him today?" he admitted. "He had curly hair, scarf, long coat? He seemed really sad?"

The two men shared a knowing look. "Yeah, that sounds like him," Jack smirked. "A version of him, at any rate."

"Are you going to be alright?" Will asked. "Can we do anything for you?"

"Yeah, no," he answered. "That is, University is all paid for-" The pair shared another knowing look. "-and I have a couple friends and neighbors to help me out with the house, right now," he admitted before dropping his voice low, "if you know what I mean?"

"If anyone, and I do mean _anyone_- the government, UNIT, or whoever- gives you any trouble, you give me a call, understand?" Jack told him. "I'll come running and they'll wish they never heard of me."

Luke smiled. "Of course, Captain. I have all your numbers."

"Can we get you anything right now, Luke? Tea, soda, sandwich?" Will offered.

Luke nodded off to the side. Clyde and Rani were threading their way through the crowd with refreshments. "I think I'll be okay, Mister-uh, Will."

"Right. We'll be here if you need anything," Jack said shaking his hand again, before turning to greet the other couple."Take care, Luke, and don't hesitate to call, for any reason," Will insisted as he turned to leave and say hello to Luke's friends, then step away.

They shifted their way through the crowd of friends and well-wishers, the younger group obviously school friends of the kids, until they found themselves near a forty-something Indian couple talking to a black woman of similar age. They soon realized this trio were the parents of Rani and Clyde.

Gita motioned them over. "Excuse me, but how did you know Sarah?" she inquired.

"Sarah Jane?" Jack corrected. "Well, you could say we ran with the same group of friends."

"I'm only a recent acquaintance," Will told her, glancing back to the kids up front. "I'm sorry I didn't get to know your Sarah Jane as well as I would have liked. We, uh, we got off on the wrong foot."

Haresh was trying to ignore his wife's nosiness, preferring to make sure the children in attendance behaved themselves, but caught his slip. "I'm sorry, did you say, 'your Sarah Jane'?"

Will froze for a second. "Yes, well, uh, I knew someone back home, also a Sarah Jane, who had a similar disposition to your friend?" he stammered. A half truth was batter than the whole truth, right?

"You have a slight accent," Gita accused. "Where did you say you were from?"

"Albany," he lied. It was not the first time he had to cover his accent. His native Albion may have been parallel to this world, but the regional accents were slightly different.

"Gita, leave the poor man, be," Carla Langer chided her neighbor.

Rani had come up after noticing her mother talking to the pair. "Yes, mum, please stop harassing Sarah Jane's friends," she insisted. "Sorry, Jack, Will, she gets like this," she apologized, then giving her mother a dirty look. Gita was unfazed, but her father gave her a similar look.

"It's alright, Rani, we were just talking," Jack told her.

"You know these two?" Gita inquired of her daughter.

Rani rolled her eyes, earning another look from her father. "Yes, mum, we met a few weeks ago," she said. "They're nice guys."

"Oh, when you and the boys went off for an afternoon trip that lasted two days?"

"Gita, leave it be," Haresh warned her.

"I just find it odd that Sarah would haul our children all over the UK, introduce them to strangers, and you think nothing of it?"

Will gave his "this is a job for Captain Smooth" look. He smirked and went into action, grabbing her hand and kissing it. "I apologize, Mrs. Chandra. We were all invited to a friend's impromptu wedding and that's where we met. There was no impropriety on our part towards the kids, and they conducted themselves with the utmost respect and courtesy. You should be proud of raising such a fine young woman."

Gita became flushed, while Haresh gave him the "My BS meter just exploded" look that only someone who dealt with kids all day could give. Still, he went along with it, as Jack did manage to quiet his wife for a moment. He held out his hand to the two men. "Thank you, and it was nice to meet a nice couple like you two."

Jack froze, mid-handshake. "Excuse me?" He could feel Will's glare on him even before he finished.

It was Haresh's turn to be embarrassed. "Oh, I'm sorry. I just assumed-?"

"Oh, we're not, that is, official or anything-"

"Just dig yourself in deeper, why don't you?" Will harrumphed and turned to walk away.

Haresh was beside himself, apologizing. Jack caught Rani covering her mouth, having realized Will was playing them both. Jack finally excused himself and gave chase to his friend. He found Will outside, waiting against their car.

"I see what I mean to you now," he chided his lover.

"Will, I'm sorry, I-" Jack began before Will doubled over laughing. Jack rolled his eyes as Markham pulled him in for a hug, still laughing, and kissed him on the cheek.

"At the very least, Rani's parents won't be bothering us again, while we're here," Will chuckled.

"Except to apologize, over and over again," Jack reminded him. He began to lean in for a kiss when he suddenly turned and pulled away. "Excuse me for a second, will you?"

He left Will hanging as he walked up to a lean stranger standing at the corner of the lot with wild eyes and hair, and hands in his pockets. "Hello, Jack," he said flatly.

"I was wondering when one of you would show up."

"Anyone I need to watch out for?" he sniffed.

"Clyde, he's still got a million questions to ask you," he chuckled. "We just got away from Rani's mother, ourselves."

"Right. Thanks." He started to approach the building, then stopped and turned back. "How's Luke doing?"

"He looked a bit exhausted and overwhelmed, but he's holding up."

"Good. That's good," he nodded.

"You are going in, aren't you?"

"Yeah. Well, I mean, eventually, yeah."

"Doctor?" Jack said in a warning tone.

"Jack."

"Don't make me drag you in there."

"I can undo this, Jack," he insisted. "I can change what happened-"

"No. You can't."

"Time can be rewritten!"

"Not this time."

"I can save her, Jack!" he exclaimed, now waving his arms. "Just tell me who did this! Davros, Trickster, Bane, Sontaran, or whoever! I can stop them and-"

"It was a heart attack."

This made him pause, but only for a brief second as his mind switched gears. "I can get her to a hospital and they can save her! I'll call in Martha! I can get her a heart!" He pointed at his chest, then outward. "From anywhere in the universe! Any time!" He was pleading, now. "We can change this, Jack! Help me!"

"Don't," Jack insisted. "Don't make a fool of yourself. She wouldn't want that."

The Doctor kept pointing at the air. A few people had stepped outside to see what the commotion was about. Jack finally pulled him into a hug.

"Don't," he insisted. "Stop it, Jack, you'll make me-" He choked up.

Jack held him tight and stroked his hair. "Shh, it's ok. It's alright," he consoled his friend. "It was her time."

Will saw the onlookers and did his best to usher them on their way. A couple left, a couple went back inside. He saw Clyde and Rani inside the door a minute later. He motioned them back inside as well. He turned to see Jack walk his friend down the street, arm across his shoulders.

When he turned back, the burly ginger stood there, peeking from around the corner. Will approached him. "Avoiding someone?" he asked casually.

"Trying to," came the gruff reply.

"He's not going to notice you, is he?"

"You never know," he smirked. "Time Lords can usually spot each other on sight, it's when you meet yourself that things become fuzzy."

"How often do you meet yourself?" Will chuckled.

"Definitely not the first time, probably not the last," he smiled. "I expect he's the first?"

"That we've seen, but we've only been here about an hour?" Will informed him. "Most of that was waiting to talk to Luke."

"The kid holding up?"

"As well as can be expected," he confided.

"It's not easy losing a parent," the bigger man confessed.

"Not any easier losing a spouse or child, either," Will agreed, laying a hand on the other man's shoulder. "You never talk about that, do you?"

He gave Will a confused look before admitting, "It never is easy, losing anyone you love."

Will could swear there was more to what he was saying than he let on. More than Will was aware of from their shared knowledge. "Doctor?"

A brief flash of panic in his eyes. "Will?"

Will squeezed his shoulder for a moment. "If he catches you here, there's going to be trouble, and a whole lot of confusion. You know that, don't you?"

The man looked away and grunted.

"You know where Jack and I are staying?" A brief nod. "We'll meet you there in a few hours."

"Okay, but no funny stuff," he chuckled as he turned to leave.

"I don't want to hear it, Abraxas," Will replied. The man froze for a second in mid-step, but kept walking away. Will could swear he was shaking his head and mumbling to himself. He turned back to the funeral home to see Jack walking back into the lot.

"You get your Doctor squared away?"

"Yeah," Jack replied. "Who were you talking to?"

"Another one," he grunted.

"That's trouble when they meet, isn't it?"

"So I've heard." They stood there, in uncomfortable silence for a moment. "I told mine we would have him over in a few. You want to stick around or head back, now?"

"Are you sure we shouldn't stay and run interference between his selves?"

"They're more likely to turn up for the service tomorrow."

"How about, I stay, you head home and make dinner?"

"It's your turn to cook." Jack's grin turned devious...and then melted away with, "_Dinner._"

He pulled Will close. "How about I make dessert? Or promise to cook all weekend?"

"You know we're having guests, right?"

Jack sighed in defeat. "Dessert and dinner all this weekend?"

Will placed his hand on Jack's chest. "Don't be late," he ordered, gave him a quick kiss, then pushed him away and headed for the car. "Remember, you promised!" he wagged his finger as he got in.

He waited until he was two blocks away before he glanced in the rearview. "You going to hide back there all day or what?"

A mass of blonde curls rose into view. "I didn't want him to see me."

"Which one?" he chuckled.

She leaned forward. "You haven't told him?"

"I haven't _seen_ him since the wedding," he informed her. "Speaking of, where have you been?"

She smiled and looked away. "Around."

He gave her a sidelong look, but didn't press further. When he arrived at his home he shared with Jack at the moment, he invited her in and began fixing dinner. "Still going to call yourself River?" he asked, offering her a cup of tea.

She seemed to mull the question over. "For now," she admitted. "What about you and Jack? Serious?"

He thought for a minute. "He's Jack. Nothing with Jack is that simple." He turned back to his cooking, muttering, "Especially when living in the shadow of one Ianto Jones."

"I'm sorry," she offered. He grunted and concentrated on his cooking. Neither said much else until Jack returned with a familiar face in tow. They both stood there in amazement at seeing her.

"This is going to take a while," Will noted. "Why don't we all sit down?"

Jack nodded and sat. The Doctor stood there and stared at her. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"You called me River Song. Insisted I was. Why can't I be her?"

"I am not in the mood," he said coolly. "Not today."

"You're right," she agreed, rising from her seat. "Let's give this a few days. I'll let you mourn your friend, then we can discuss this." She began moving towards the door.

The Doctor grabbed her arm and glared at her. "Who are you?" he demanded again.

She gave a quick glance back to the other two. "No. Not here. Not like this." He started to say something, but she cut him off. "I'm sorry. You aren't ready to deal with this, not right now."

She tried to pull away, but he held her arm tight. "Answer me," he growled.

She peeled his fingers off with her free hand, then leaned forward and whispered in his ear. He stared at her in disbelief. "Are we good?" she asked him. He forced himself to nod. "I'll see you soon enough, alright?" He nodded and let her leave.

The other two hesitated, waiting for his reaction. He finally looked their way, shrugged, and sat in the chair she had vacated. He finally looked up to Will, who busied himself with finishing dinner, and tossing the occasional glance to Jack, who watched the Time Lord.

No one said much during the meal, but the Doctor noticed Will kept looking toward the door. "Expecting someone else, tonight?"

Will gave him an embarrassed look. "No."

The Doctor didn't believe him, but was interrupted by Jack. "Where did you park the TARDIS? Or did you plan on crashing here, tonight?"

"Don't worry about it, Jack."

He wiped his mouth. "You're going to be there, tomorrow."

"Of course, Jack."

"That wasn't a question."

The Doctor stared at him a long moment. "Who do you take me for, Harkness?"

"I'm just saying-"

He simply replied, "It's Sarah Jane."

Jack started to say something, but Will put his hand on his arm to stop him. They finished the meal in silence. As Jack and Will cleared the table, the Doctor went to their back window and stood watching the sky, hands behind his back.

Jack sidled up to him. "I'm sorry."

The Doctor gave a soft grunt Jack almost didn't hear.

"Don't go. Please."

The Doctor slowly turned his head, as if he had just realized Jack was there. "I should go over there, make sure the boy is okay."

"Luke's a good kid. He has friends to help him out."

He turned back to the window. "She still has K9 and that computer."

"Let's worry about that tomorrow, after the service," Jack urged him. The Doctor grunted again.

"Jack, didn't you say you were going to make dessert?" Will interrupted them.

"Yeah, I'll run out and get something," he replied, not taking his eyes off his friend.

"Well, you better hurry before the shops close, then," Will told him.

Jack glanced over to see the determined look on his other friend's face. He got the message. "Right."

No sooner than Jack had left than Will prodded the Time Lord. "Well, are we going to talk or not?"

"How long have you lived here, Will?"

"A couple years. Why?"

"A couple? How do you pay for this place? It is yours, isn't it? It's not Jack's."

Will smirked. "Actually? It's both."

"Eh?"

Will sighed. "When I first landed here, about three years back, I was lost, confused, barely spoke the language." He waited for the Doctor to question this, but he didn't. "Turns out, we spoke a slightly different language back in Albion. Never did figure out how we understood each other back home?"

"The TARDIS translator circuits," he admitted.

Will nodded. "I thought as much. Anyway, I wound up in hospital, mental ward, because they thought I was crazy," he chuckled. He looked up at the stars. "I even swore the names were all different, for everything, and don't get me started on when they questioned me on the Royals."

He noticed a slight twitch at the corner of the Time Lord's mouth.

"I acclimated pretty quickly, they thought, and released me," he continued. "No money, but enough expertise to get a security job, wrote a few codes, bought this place, kept my head down when you and Jack had stirred up trouble." He gave the other man a slight nudge in the side with his elbow. He gave no reaction. "Anyway, that about brings us back to the present. I rented this place, but Jack actually owns it through one of his dummy companies. I doubt he even knows about it. Anyway, I kept an online alert for a few details you lot shared. Once they were met, I started hanging about the rebuilt Plass for you to show up."

The Doctor seemed to consider this, then turned his head to Markham, standing where Jack had been a minute before. "Who is she?"

"That's not for me to say," he replied after a moment.

"You know who she is," he accused.

"She was amnesiac after we pulled her out of that nano-closet or whatever it was," he reminded his friend. "I told her what I could do. She let me."

"And?"

"What I saw? I can't tell you, not yet."

"You know who she really is," he repeated.

Will rocked his ankles as he stared outside. "Yes."

"Tell me."

"What did she tell you before she left? She whispered something in your ear."

The Doctor's jaw clenched. "Nothing."

"Then that's what I can tell you. Nothing."

The Doctor grabbed Will by the lapel with one hand. "Answer me, Markham."

Will was unfazed by this. "What she told you was everything you need to know. Am I right?"

The Doctor fumed, but didn't say anything."We get everything taken care of tomorrow, then the three of us will tend to what needs be done," he told the Time Lord.

"Who do you think you are to dictate terms to me?"

"Someone who's help you are going to need," he replied. "Very soon."

The Doctor turned to leave, but Will grabbed him by the arm.

"Let go of me, Markham," he warned.

"Do you trust me?"

His only answer was a hard stare.

"Do you trust Jack?"

He held Will's gaze, a slight twitch in one eye.

"Do you trust her?"

He turned away and broke free of Will's grip and opened the man's front door, then stopped. "Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," Will agreed.

The Doctor pushed past Jack, who had been standing outside, waiting for the conversation to end. "Good night," he called after his friend. The Time Lord kept walking.

"Leave him be, Jack," Will said from the front door. "Tomorrow's going to be a long day."

* * *

><p>The next morning, the pair showed up early and Jack acted as greeter until Luke and his friends showed up. He didn't mind, insisting he would have done more if he could. He noticed numerous familiar faces in the crowd, even a few scattered amongst the grieving were the same man. Some of them recognized their earlier selves, but didn't acknowledge himself, preferring to quickly pay their respects and quietly move on.<p>

Jack's Doctor, he of the lean face, large nose, and leather jacket never showed. From what Jack remembered, he wasn't surprised. (In truth, he had slipped in overnight and paid his respects in private.) His subsequent selves showed up, offering their condolences to Luke and his friends, whom they had both met, however briefly. Jack would later check the guest registry and see several "John Smith"s listed, each with similar handwriting and each with a number after their name. The one Jack knew best, "John Smith X", seemed more emotional than his younger, tall, curly blond counterpart that had first met her or the one with curly brown locks and long scarf. "Ten" spurned Jack when he inquired after him. He did seem to acknowledge his other blond appearance with a quick nod, though.

Jack never saw the man he had dined with the night the service began, Luke thanked everyone for coming and gave a halting speech, having lost the only parent he ever knew. The service was quick and simple, many knew she wouldn't have wanted them to throw anything extravagant for her, preferring they get together to remember and laugh over the good times.

As the service ended and the crowd began to disperse, the various Doctors quietly filed out and seemed to vanish. Jack stayed long enough to walk Luke out when he caught sight of a familiar redhead waiting in the foyer.

"Too crowded for you?" Jack asked. Will discreetly elbowed him.

"I just wanted to talk to Luke a moment if you don't mind?"

The boy nodded and the pair headed off to a quiet hall, allowing Jack and Will to block any interruption. Barely a minute later, Luke pushed them aside, thanking them and left with his friends.

The redhead stood behind them a moment, waiting for them to turn around. He finally gripped Will's shoulder. "It never gets any easier, does it?" he said and slipped past them towards the exit.

Jack started to follow, but Will held him back. "Give him a minute."

Jack obeyed, but grabbed Will's hand. "He's got a point."

Will squeezed his hand. "I know." He looked back to the parlor a moment and saw someone standing there. He pulled Jack along back into the room. They looked at each other in amazement.

Jack cleared his throat. "That was fast."

The Doctor turned to face them, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Sorry, it was crowded in here. I wanted a last moment alone."

"If you still need a minute?" Jack asked.

He glanced back to the casket. The attendant was waiting for them to leave. "No. No, I'll be fine. Where's Luke? I wanted to talk to him before we left."

Jack and Will gave him an alarmed look. "You weren't just-?" they echoed before racing after the orphaned young man.

They caught up with him as he was about to get into Mrs. Langer's car. "Luke, can we ask you something real quick?" Will begged.

"That man you just talked to, who was that?" Jack asked.

Luke was confused until he saw the man run up behind the pair. "That was him, wasn't it? The Doctor?"

"No, Luke," the Doctor answered. "It wasn't. what did he tell you?"

A quick look of panic flashed across his face. "I-I'm sorry, he just expressed his condolences and told me I didn't have to worry about anything," he informed them. "He said he would check on me, soon enough, see how I was getting on and all."

The trio exchanged confused glances. Luke looked over the Doctor, studying him. "He was dressed in the exact same clothes, same hair, everything, but-"

The Doctor finished for him. "He was older?"

"Y-yeah? Was it not you, then?"

The Doctor fumed. "Today, of all days."

"Is everything alright?" Clyde inquired. His mother stepped back out of her car to see what was going on. Jack nodded to her and Clyde took the hint. "Everything's alright, mum, just some last well wishers," he lied, then got back in the car with her. Jack nodded his thanks.

The Doctor glanced around before giving Luke a quick scan with his Sonic. "No tracking devices or anything else unusual," he noted. "He didn't give you anything or touch you?"

"No, and just a quick handshake is all," he told them. He held out his hand for the Doctor to scan.

"Nothing," he reported. "Look, Luke, it probably was just a future me, but we'll head over to the house and check everything first, okay?"

Luke nodded. "Okay, and thank you, sir."

"It's nothing, Luke, I-"

"She told me all about you," he continued. "In fact, you were her everything until I came along." He suddenly hugged the Time Lord. "Thank you."

The Doctor hugged him back. "It was my pleasure to know her," he said, fighting back tears.

Luke finally pulled away and turned to Jack. "Captain," he saluted. Jack returned the salute. When he turned to Will, he was unsure if he should salute or not until Will simply held out his hand. "Mr. Markham."

"We'll being seeing you, shortly," Will nodded.

Luke smiled and climbed in the Langer's car. The trio waved after as they pulled away."To the Mirth Mobile?" Will finally asked. The other two gave him puzzled looks. "Or the TARDIS, whichever."

They started to leave when Martha caught their attention. "Doctor, how are you doing?" she asked.

"Can we ask you a huge favor?" Jack inquired.

She gave them her "you've got to be kidding" expression, raised eyebrow and all. "What?"

"Keep an eye on the kids for now?" the Doctor inquired. "Luke and his friends."

"Nothing too intrusive, just make sure he's doing alright," Jack clarified.

"Anything going on I should know about?"

"If you see me, make sure I'm with one of these two," the Doctor informed her.

She turned to Jack. "So, you're officially back on the team, is that it?"

Jack laughed. "What team is that?"

She smiled and nodded toward the large man, "Team TARDIS. Anywhere, any time. You know how it is with him."

Jack gave the Time Lord an amused look. "For now," he admitted. "But, it's just a quick jaunt, then we're on our own after that," he chuckled.

"Yeah, that's what we all said. Good luck with that, boys," she winked, kissed Jack on the cheek and headed back to Mickey.

Will clapped him on the back and the trio headed back to where the Doctor had parked the TARDIS. A minute later, they were at 13 Bannerman Road. The Doctor strode immediately into the house, Jack and Will at his heels.

"Greetings Master," came a reassuring voice as they entered the attic.

"Hello, K9, old friend," he said, kneeling to pat the mechanical dog. "How are things?"

"Mistress will not be returning," he replied sadly. "Will I return to the TARDIS with Master?"

"I don't know," he sighed. He rose and turned toward the mock fireplace. "Mr. Smith, I need you."

Nothing happened.

"Mr. Smith, I need you," he repeated. When nothing happened after a minute, he pulled out his sonic and scanned the façade. "Sleep mode."

"What now?" Jack asked.

"We wait for the kids," he sighed. He then noticed Will puttering around. "Don't. Leave her things alone," he warned.

Will held up an envelope. "It's for you."

The Doctor crossed the room and snatched it from his associate. "Her handwriting," he noted before opening it. He scanned the note and crumpled it in one hand.

"Something wrong?" Jack inquired. Will knew to keep his silence.

"No," he growled, shoving the paper into his coat pocket. Will gave Jack a knowing look. Both kept their silence this time.

Will shoved his hands in his pockets. "So, we just sit and wait for the kids to return?" he asked as a confused expression crossed his face and he pulled out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and read it.

"What's that?" the Doctor inquired.

"I don't know?" he replied. "Remember what she told you the time you talked?" he read out loud. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The Doctor grabbed it and read it. "Where did this come from?" he demanded.

"I don't know," Will stammered. "You saw me pull it out just now. I don't know how it got in there?" He looked to Jack for an answer.

"Don't look at me," the immortal denied, "I never saw that paper, before. I don't even know what that means."

Will looked back to the Doctor. The hand holding the note trembled. "Did he get near you?"

"What, the double?" Will asked. The Doctor nodded. Will looked to Jack. "Just once, right before we met you. He pulled Luke aside a minute, then pushed past us when he was done."

The Doctor dropped his head. "We have to go."

"Where?" Jack inquired.

The Doctor suddenly strode from the room. Will and Jack gave chase, ignoring the plaintive cries of "Master?" from K9.

"Doctor?" Jack called after the Time Lord as they chased him back into the TARDIS. "What's going on?"

The Doctor reached the controls and began working them. He finally stopped, laid his hands on the control panel, and looked toward the confused pair.

"The only water in the Forest is the River."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack asked.

Will stared at his friend in concern. "It means he's finally figured it all out."The Doctor smiled, a gleam of joy in his eye. "She's alive."

* * *

><p>Carla Langer pulled her car up in front of Luke's home, letting the boys out. "Are you sure you'll be alright?"<p>

"Yes, ma'am," Luke replied, getting out and looking at the empty house.

"We'll be fine, mum," Clyde assured her. "We're just meeting some friends here, then we'll be home for dinner, okay?"

She nodded her assent and drove around the corner to her own home. Clyde looked across the street to see the Chandra's had not yet returned home, before he turned back to Luke and put his arm across his friend's shoulders as they walked to the house. "Did he say when they'd drop by?"

"Later," Luke answered in a weary monotone.

"So, we'll get to see the TARDIS again?"

"Yeah, sure," he agreed.

"You alright then?"

"Yeah," he lied, unlocking the door.

The duo stopped in their tracks as they watched an unfamiliar face rise from the couch in the front room. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, with dark hair, blue eyes, and wearing 'hipster' styled loose slacks, a garish long sleeved, diamond print shirt, with a vest and scarf ticked into it. The material of the shirt seemed to shimmer, as if made from a cloth unknown to them, despite having a retro-classic look to current patterns. Clyde could almost swear the diamonds were moving.

"I'm sorry. I let myself in," he said. "And you don't recognize me, do you?" he asked, seeing their confusion turn to anger.

K9 suddenly rolled in. "Greetings Master Luke, Master Clyde." He had a small tray attached to his back with a pot of tea, cups, and a small plate of biscuits. He rolled forward to the strange man. "Your tea, Master."

"Doctor?" Luke ventured.

"Mr. Smith, Mr. Langer," he nodded. "I hope you don't mind, but I've already taken the liberty of shutting down that computer, upstairs. Security precautions and all," he informed them.

Luke stared at him incredulously. "You did _what_?" Clyde exclaimed.

Undeterred, he continued. "If you'd like, I thought you might like the opportunity to go back a few days and say a final farewell to your mother?"

"We get to take a ride in the TARDIS?" Clyde now grinned, his outrage forgotten.

"We could, if that was the Doctor," Luke said.

The young man smiled. "That didn't take long. You really are the smart one, aren't you?"

"Who are you and what do you think you're doing?" Luke demanded.

"Keeping a promise, young man," he replied. "And call me Abe," he winked.

"Yes, Master," K9 answered as he took a biscuit from the tray.

TBC...

* * *

><p>Next: Overdue Rescue.<p>

Oct.1, 2011. decided I gotta start dating when I post these, since my plots seem to parallel what Moffat is doing. Waiting for the Wedding of River Song to air later today.


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